Legacy 201
by Fallen Angel23
Summary: It is the year 201 but peace is not yet permanent in the hearts of humankind. As the pilots struggle with their own internal wars, can they come together to prevent a new one? 1xR, 2xH, 3xC, 4xD, 5xS.
1. Prologue

**LEGACY 201**

Author: Fallen Angel I don't own Gundam Wing. sniff. I am also not making any profit out of writing this. The characters belong to Sunrise, Sotsu, TV Asahi, Bandai Entertainment, etc.

Rating: **M - **this contains adult themes, violence, angst, language and LEMON. So you're not allowed to sue me because you have been warned. Like you'd get any money out of me anyway; I'm poor.

A/N: In this Trowa and Catherine **ARE NOT **brother and sister. Flame me if it really bothers you, but it _is_ fan FICTION people.

Couples: 1xR, 2xH, 3xC, (it's explained above) 4xD, 5xS and references to 6x9 and 11x13.

Dedication: To Polgara, with all my thanks!

**Prologue**

_There were days of wonderment and dreams that lasted,_

_Far too long_

_There were times of bitterness_

_There was emptiness_

_And days of incomparable sun._

_Carol Davis 'Images and Illusions'_

It is the year AC 201.

For years since Vice Foreign Minister Darlain established peace on earth and in the colonies, life, in general, was good. The Preventers worked diligently in the colonies and the respective rulers of their countries united in the Earth Sphere Unified Nations. Generally the world was at peace.

Until late last year.

It was in that time that a small group of people, led by Leonard Sincarno, a young lawyer whose father died in the wars 6 years ago, formed the group known as Legacy. There was nothing curious at first and more and more members - people who had lost loved ones in the wars - came forward to join, to offer support to others like themselves.

Then, 6 months later, it began.

It was such a minor thing to ask that no one really paid any attention; even the media didn't report the story. Legacy requested that the World High Council - a legal tribunal working beneath ESUN and chairperson Relena Darlain - on behalf of the peoples of the world and the colonies, pay each member an amount of money as compensation for the lives sacrificed so that there could be peace. It was a tiny amount and at the time Relena Darlain, who had so far supported Legacy, sanctioned the request with the support of the council.

Then, only 4 months after that, Legacy retuned and asked for more; the first amount had not been enough. The current request was substantially larger and would be more taxing on the world's economy but it could not be refused. To do so would be to put a value on the lives of many brave soldiers. Worried, Minister Darlain had the activities of Legacy secretly investigated and discovered that factions of the group had been at work assembling and buying mobile suits - ones far grander and more heavily armored than previous models. Mobile suits were obsolete and almost impossible to come by. To have one otherwise was illegal. But the ties between Legacy and the underground factories in the colonies and on earth were so tenuous they would never have held up in court. Still, it was enough reason for Minister Darlain to deny Legacy's request.

Sincarno was not a quitter though and changed the request to 'monies to be made to…' and here listed the members of Legacy, never making any mention of the group itself. Backed into a legal corner, the World High Council voted against Darlain to have the compensation paid. As Relena Darlain soon discovered, as soon as the money had been paid out, the members of Legacy had kindly donated it back into the organization.

Then 1 week ago, Darlain's fears became real. The Legacy group made their last move, formally submitting their ultimatum it to the World High Council. Should they be unable to grant the final sum of money in compensation (an unbelievably high amount) Legacy would be forced to declare war upon all those able to be held responsible for the loss of life in the wars.

It was the end of peace and the dawning of a new battle….


	2. Chapter 1: The Martyr

Disclaimer: You know I don't own it. Do I look rich to you?

Rating: M. Mature audiences only.

* * *

**Chapter 1: The Martyr**

_Razors and the dying roses, plead I don't leave you alone,_

_Demi-gods and hungry ghosts and God, God knows I'm not at home._

_I looked into your eyes and saw a world that does not exist._

_I looked into your eyes and saw a world I wish I was in._

_I'll never find someone quite like you again…_

_VAST, 'Touched' _

Heero smoothed a hand over his eyes but the words on his computer screen failed to become any clearer. Although it would have helped if the apartment he'd rented in the worst part of what was once Paris had lighting for more than 1 hour every night. Still, there was (mostly) running water and something that resembled a bed in the corner and that was all Heero needed. After all, his missions kept him on the move often enough. Now he was simply on the look for a new one as he scoured the Preventer mainframe.

Then the unexpected happened; he received an email. It wasn't that he didn't often get them - no one should even have known what his address was. Except one person, who was only allowed to contact him in an emergency.

Duo.

_Hey, it's me. Been talking to Quatre. You need to go see Relena. Now._

Heero sat back in his seat, reading between the lines. Firstly, it was only a short message which meant it was written in a hurry. Also significant that he had mentioned talking to Quatre, the resident empathic who - as far as Heero knew - was taking time off to help one of his sisters run her hospital in Cairo. But what worried Heero most was the use of the words 'need' and 'now'. It wasn't like Duo to risk his life by ordering Heero around, unless it was really important.

Sighing, he reached forward to turn of his computer, leaving the room in complete darkness. It had been so long since he'd seen her. Sure, a visit here and there would have been possible but then again, wasn't it better to make a clean break in cases like these?

On the other hand, there were no cases like theirs. Who'd ever heard of a soldier falling in love with the woman he should have killed? He'd even gone so far as to protect her.

_No need to break tradition,_ thought Heero as he stood up. After all, England was only a short boat ride away. And the truth was, whatever Quatre was sensing he had sensed it too. And it left him with a heavy feeling that settled in the pit of his stomach. If he'd ever been taught the concept, Heero would have recognised it as fear.

* * *

Relena turned the gun over in her hands feeling the cool metal between her fingers and watching it glint in the moonlight. She began to see how Heero could be so cold when this was what he worked with, what he lived with; weapons of destruction. Maybe it was only now…now that she had to lost her grip on her dreams of peace…that she could become comfortable with holding a gun and with what she was about to do.

She cast a final look towards the bed behind her. Sitting in neat little rows and addressed in Relena's neat handwriting were her suicide letters. One to Milliardo and Noin, whose kindness in letting her stay with them could never be repaid with words; another to her friends, to express her sorrow at disappointing them; one to the world, to explain that she could not live on, watching the peace of the world - all that she had lived for - slip through her fingers. And finally, the letter which took her the longest to write and filled her with the most pain, one to Heero.

_God, Heero. _His leaving all those years ago left a tear in her heart that had been slowly ripping itself open ever since. So it wasn't too surprising for her to find that now she was so empty: everything had been falling apart ever since he left her.

_But now I'll find my peace, _she thought, checking that the gun was loaded. There were six bullets, but Relena knew she would only need one.

_World, forgive me for having to leave when you need me most._

Slowly, she walked towards the balcony, hoping that the further she got from the sound of Milliardo and Noin's laughter downstairs, the easier it would be to convince herself that this was the only way out.

_Brother, forgive me for leaving you without the family you so desperately need. Sister in law, forgive me._

The cold metal of the barrel pressed against her forehead.

_Heero, forgive me for loving you this much. I only hope this will keep the peace for you._

Her finger tightened on the trigger and she took one last look out at the world she so loved…

There. She had seen it through the curtains, movement on the balcony. She lowered the gun and carefully pulled away the curtain to find herself face to face with…

"Heero?" she had meant to sound happy at seeing him after so long but found that her voice could only express confusion. Relena's eyes drank him in - God he looked even sexier than ever. Though his eyes seemed even deeper, hardened by his years of experience. It had been so long, but he hadn't changed in her eyes. Maybe he never would.

"Relena," he said. "I…" he went to say something more when his mind comprehended what his eyes had seen straightaway. Relena was standing before him with a gun in one hand, a set of letters with her writing on the front sitting on the bed and the tears still drying on her cheeks. It didn't take a genius to see what she'd been about to do before he arrived.

"What the hell are you doing?" Heero growled, stepping forward into the room to take the gun away from her. To his surprise she stepped back. Relena had never stepped back from him before, even when he'd held a gun to her throat.

"I know what you're thinking," Relena said, bringing the gun up to point it at him. "It's a bit of a role reversal, isn't it Heero? Me, trying to end my life. You, trying to stop me."

"Give me the gun, Relena." He reached out, in no way unnerved by her threats. Things may have changed but she was still his Relena.

"I'm sorry Heero, I can't do that," she said. "Leave, now."

"You wouldn't shoot me."

"Don't test me, please. I was a breath away from killing myself. You don't think I couldn't take you with me?" Relena heard the desperation in her voice but knew that hiding the truth now was pointless. The evidence was in her hand. She was a desperate woman.

Heero didn't back away at her words, but did stop moving forward. "What happened to you, Relena? When I left you were the living symbol of peace in the world. You couldn't even pick up a gun to defend yourself, much less shoot somebody."

"Things have changed with me, Heero," she replied softly. "That's why you're here, isn't it? I have to be at death's door before you'll even come visit me. If you had been here, you'd see how hard I'm finding letting it go."

"Letting what go?"

"Peace, Heero. Peace," Relena was on the verge of tears but she kept going. "Legacy will either take every penny the world has to offer or destroy everything we've worked so hard to rebuild. No matter what I do, there will be a war. And I am to blame; I encouraged Sincarno. I sympathized with him."

"This isn't your fault, Relena," Heero said gently.

"And this has nothing to do with you," she told him, tightening her grip on the gun.

"If it doesn't, then what is that letter addressed to me doing on your bed?"

Relena glanced back towards the bed and that split second was all Heero needed to grab the barrel. But she had a stronger grip than he'd expected and it became a sudden tug of war.

"Heero, let go!" she cried, pushing against him with her free hand.

He grunted in reply and forced the gun above both their heads where it could do less damage if it accidentally went off. The fact was that he was too strong for her and it was only a matter of time before she lost her grip.

BANG!

As the sound of a gunshot rang through the room, Heero let go of the barrel, startled. But he knew that it hadn't gone off, it couldn't have - he would have felt it. Then his eyes fell to Relena and he saw. He saw the gun she held in her other hand, the one he'd had tucked into the back of his pants and the one she must have secretly grabbed while they were fighting. He saw the crimson stain on her white blouse, blooming like a rose over where her stomach was.

"Oh God," Heero felt his heart stop in his chest. "Relena…"

She reached out for him in what was almost a parting gesture, even as she fell towards the ground. "Heero…"

He only just had time to grab her and fall to the ground with her, cradling her body in his arms. It was so like a scene from long ago it was almost ironic; him falling and her catching him. But he hadn't been fatally wounded at the time.

As a soldier his eyes took in everything; the wound, her pale face and her rapidly slowing breathing. But Heero, the man, saw only one thing. He was losing her. The only woman he'd ever loved was dying in his arms.

The scream built in his throat without his realising. "Noooooo!"

* * *

Zechs heard the gunshot before he heard Heero cry out. But he had been out of his chair so quickly, his wife on his heels, that as he opened the door he was able to see Heero throw his head back and cry like a wounded animal. His heart leapt into his throat as he saw, in the light pouring through the doorway, his sister cradled in Heero's arms. The wound in her stomach was clearly visible.

"Oh my god," Noin whispered behind him as she took in the scene. "I'll call an ambulance," she said, running downstairs again.

"Heero," said Zechs, running forward and kneeling beside him. Somehow, he couldn't find the ability to hate the young man right now. And as he saw Heero's face he couldn't find reason to blame him either. "What the hell happened?"

Tears were pooling in Heero's eyes when he answered. "I don't know…I don't know. It wasn't meant to happen like this."

"Heero, get a grip! What happened here?"

"She was trying to kill herself," Heero gasped out. "I arrived in time to stop her, but as we were fighting over the gun she must have…she shot herself…with my gun. It's my fault; I should have thought about that. I should have remembered my gun. And I never told her…"

Zechs checked for a pulse. "She's still alive, Heero. There's still time."

"I called an ambulance," Noin said as she appeared in the doorway. "They'll be here in a few minutes."

To Heero's relief, they were there in exactly 2 minutes, 40 seconds. But at the same time the wait for the ambulance seemed to take forever. And when the paramedics did arrive, Heero wasn't satisfied to go with Noin and Zechs in their car.

Running after the paramedic beside Relena's gurney, he asked, "Can I ride with you?"

The paramedic, a short man with roughly cut hair, responded curtly, "No. Go away."

Heero looked hurt for a moment but Noin quickly took his arm. "Come on, Heero. You'll see her at the hospital. And you can ride with us."

"Yeah, pal," sneered the paramedic, "nick off so we can do our job."

Something triggered in Heero's mind. No paramedics he'd ever met acted like that; they weren't allowed to. Something was wrong. Instinctively, Heero ran around to the front of the van and then stopped still, stunned by what he saw. The driver wasn't a paramedic - he was wearing a soldier's uniform. A Legacy uniform.

"Hey!" he called out, but it was too late. The van was on the move.

_Oh no you don't, _he thought to himself. _You think you can lose me that easily? Seems you've never met 'the perfect soldier' before._

And with that, Heero began running. He could hear Zechs calling out in the distance but he didn't care. He was completely focused on his mission and nothing could deter him from that. Heero ran and ran until he thought his sides would split and his feet hurt each time they pounded the pavement. He ran flat out yet the van was getting further and further away but just when he began to believe he'd never catch them, the lights changed to red. Without realising he had a hunter, the driver began to slow down. Heero took the chance to jump at the back doors, catching the handle in his hands as the lights went green.

"Damn," Heero found himself cursing as the van started moving again and his shoes grazed against the bitumen. Though he was lucky; if the van door handles had been any lower he would have been grazing more than his shoes. Inch by careful inch, he worked his way along the top of the van, closing in on the driver as they moved at breakneck speed. At the first chance he got, Heero dropped his head beside the driver's window.

"I said 'Hey'," he quipped right before landing a fist in the middle of the surprised driver's nose. A split second later, he flung the side door open, throwing the driver out and taking his place.

"Rico!" a voice called from the back. "What's going on up there? You call that driving?" A head poked itself through the small window dividing the front from back.

"Rico?" the 'paramedic' asked, looking towards Heero.

"No, sorry," the Gundam pilot said. "Can I take a message?" Taking advantage of the paramedic's surprise, he quickly slammed on the brakes, sending the man forward against the windscreen, knocking him unconscious. Unfortunately, Heero hadn't braced himself as well as he thought he had and the force of the sudden stop sent his forehead on a one way course with the dashboard.

But just before losing consciousness, Heero found the energy to look back at Relena. She was still breathing, her injuries apparently unaffected by his driving.

"Relena…" he gasped. It was the last thing he managed to utter before the world went black.

* * *

Elsewhere...

"Duo, remind me again why I let you drag me to this place."

"Because, Trowa, ever since you left the circus to join the Preventers you've been in soldier mode. You live, breathe and eat like a soldier and seem to have deleted the word 'fun' from your vocabulary," explained the young mechanic. "But you see, I wrote the book on 'fun' and I'm about to demonstrate how it's done."

Trowa sighed and inched away from the entrance to a bar where a pair of drunk, smelly men tumbled out. They had to be, he thought, in the most disreputable part of L2. Next time he had time off and was looking for some fun, he had to remember NOT to call Duo Maxwell.

"Oh, come on Trowa," his braided friend said, "relax a little, will ya? You've been to places like this on missions a million times before, I'll bet. And probably at night too, and it's the middle of the day, so why worry?"

"I worry because I have been to places like this on missions before and know what they're like. What in space could be of entertainment value in a dump like this?"

"Hey, this dump happens to be one of my regular hangouts," said the American with mock indignation.

"Why am I not surprised?"

"And in answer to your question, _this_ is a place of great 'entertainment value' if I do say so myself."

He pulled them up in front of a place not unlike any other, a small bar, tucked back into the alcove of a brick building.

"The Two Legs?" Trowa asked, raising an eyebrow at the bright pink neon light over the door. "A strip club?"

Duo laughed. "Of course not. Look, don't let appearances deceive you. The service is great. Come on."

Before Trowa had time to argue he found himself being dragged inside. A blonde woman with curly hair wearing a tiny dress (which Trowa could swear was really underwear masquerading as proper clothes) met them with a smile.

"Hey Duo. You're early," she said. "We don't normally see you till after work."

"Yeah, Natalie," he replied, "but today's a special occasion. I've got a friend with me. Natalie, this is Trowa."

"I noticed," she said with a smile in Trowa's direction. "You never told me you had such cute friends, Duo. You should bring them by more often. Is he taken?"

Trowa went to speak but Duo was too quick for him. "Nah, but I'm too good a friend to let him fall into your clutches. I know you, you little husband-hunter."

Natalie shrugged. "Girl's gotta have plans. I can't be working here for the rest of my life. But I'm working here now, so can I show you fellas to a seat?"

"Sure thing."

She led them through some velvet red curtains and Trowa found himself in a cosy looking club with a small stage at the front and a bar to the right. The lighting was dim and the air smoky but somehow it was almost welcoming. Half a dozen or so girls served the tables and like Natalie, were dressed in little more than underwear.

"Here you go fellas," Natalie said, seating them at a table close to the stage. "You're in for a treat Duo, our new girl is dancing today. Now I'll go get you some drinks."

"Usual for me," said Duo. "And he'll have…"

"Scotch on the rocks, thanks," Trowa said.

Natalie winked. "Nice choice. I like a man with taste. Be back in a sec."

When she left the two men fell into silence. Of course, with Duo around silence never lasted long.

"Go on, say it," he said. "I know what you're thinking."

"What am I thinking then?"

"You're thinking you got this whole place pegged wrong. You expected it to be filled with sleazes and perverts."

Trowa glanced around before replying, "You're right. It's almost…nice. I can see why it appeals to you."

Duo didn't say anything but smiled confidently. Somehow that annoyed Trowa even more. But then the drinks arrived and the two men fell into a content silence as they drank. More than once, Duo contemplated asking the other man about the Legacy issue; it had been all over the news and if things progressed for the worse, there was always the worry that he might be called upon to pilot a mobile suit. Even worse than that, Hilde might be too. He could handle being sent out into battle again, but the thought of Hilde doing the same worried him more than he cared to admit to himself.

"You're thinking about her, aren't you?" Trowa asked, reading Duo's thoughts.

"Who?"

"That girl you're living with. Hilde, isn't it?"

Duo gave his half-smile, "You've been hanging around Quatre too much. Yeah, I guess I was."

"You worry about her?"

"Yeah, I do."

Trowa nearly smiled around his glass. "She should be worrying about you, knowing you're in a place like this."

"Nah, it's not like that. We're just friends. Besides, the rule here is look but don't touch. Hilde and I…"

He was about to say more when he was cut off by the sounds of catcalls and wolf whistles. Turning around, he saw the curtains across the stage open. Even before they'd fully opened, Duo could see the woman standing on stage; she was gorgeous. A tall brunette, whose face was half-covered by a shimmering blue mask, she wore a small sarong around her waist but as for her top she was wearing basically nothing. Though no one could tell for sure because she held two peacock feather fans over her torso, feathers that matched the elaborate ones in her hair. For the first time, Duo was speechless - sure he'd seen the dancers here before but none like this one. The new girl - who he identified as 'Cat' from the way the other girls cheered her on - was a great dancer, moving like liquid across the stage, moving the fans but never leaving herself bare.

"Hey, she's really something, eh, Trowa?" he asked. Silence was his reply. "Trowa?"

He turned around to find the other pilot in a sort of trance; staring fixedly at the girl. "Whoa, Trowa," he said. "She's really got your attention, hasn't she?"

"Is there something…familiar about her?" Trowa asked suddenly, frowning.

"Huh? No, I don't think so. I mean, come on. If I met a girl like that, with those legs, don't you think I'd remember her?" Duo looked again, appreciatively. "Look at her. Sure, she's got the figure of a dancer but moves with more strength like…hmm, like…"

"An acrobat?" offered Trowa.

"Yeah, that's it. Like a…" Duo spun around as realization hit. "Oh Trowa, man, you can't be thinking that it…it couldn't be…"

"I'd know if I could see her eyes. I'd know for sure."

"Easily done," said Duo and a split second later called out, "Hey sweetie, move the fans, would ya?"

The girl turned towards their table with a smile of mock insult. The smile faded the moment she laid eyes on the two. She seemed to freeze in place, her blue eyes held by Trowa's dark green ones. As if the eyes weren't enough proof, the mere fact that she'd recognised him was enough.

_Catherine…_

* * *

Throwing on a robe she'd left hanging by the stage, Catherine ran as fast as she could to her dressing room. She ignored the words of congratulations from her workmates; she couldn't even remember how she'd made it through the rest of her dance without bursting into tears. Gods, it wasn't bad enough that he'd been there, watching her, but the way he'd looked at her with such disappointment was enough to make her cry. What right did he have to accuse her? He'd left of his own free will - she'd had very little choice and it was mostly his fault too.

She slammed the door to her cupboard-like room shut and sat in front of her mirror. It was plain to see that not only had she changed mentally; she didn't even recognize her face as the young girl from the circus. For one thing, she'd lost weight and somehow her hair had lost some of it's natural curl and fell almost dead straight across her shoulders.

A knock at the door interrupted her sorrow.

"Cat?" It was Nicole. "There's a man who wants to see you. Says you were expecting him."

Catherine quickly wiped the tears from her eyes and dabbed some powder on to make the puffiness less visible before calling out, "Let him in."

Trowa came in then closed the door behind him. But after that the two fell into silence, both looking for the right words to say. She was the first to break the silence. "Well, Trowa, I'd say it's good to see you again but I'm no so sure. Are you going to say something, because you were the one to come here, not the other way around."

There was a hard quality to her voice that Trowa could swear wasn't there before. It startled him a little before he could give his reply. "This was just a coincidence; Duo brought me. I didn't know you were here. What happened?"

"To what? You, me, or the circus?" she asked.

"Pick one."

"Ok, let's start with the circus," she said, moving to sit down before realizing that that would make him seem even taller than usual. And he had filled out too quite a bit in the past few years, she noted, making him seem less like a lanky boy and more like a man. Then again, she'd known he was good looking from the start. "The thing is, when the wars were on, the circus was popular. People went there to escape from the horrible things in real life to a world of fantasy and illusion. When the wars ended, the demand for things like a circus dropped and so did our income." She leant against the dresser and removed the feathers from her hair. "Like the others, I didn't want to wait until we had to be kicked out. So I left."

"How long ago?" he asked, watching her. She was taller and more slender, yes, but she was still stunning.

"Not long after you left actually. But there were other things to consider."

"Like what?"

"I can't tell you and don't ask me again," she said curtly.

Trowa frowned slightly. "Why so cold, Cathy? Not even a word of explanation?"

She stood up straight and stepped towards him. There was a fire in her eyes he had seen before but under completely different circumstances. "That's all you gave me, wasn't it? A quick goodbye and not a word of explanation. But you can't hide the truth from me with silence Trowa; I know what you're thinking without you having to say it."

Trowa could feel his emotions rising - a mixture of desire and anger and confusion - but he buried them quickly. It was pointless though - Catherine had been right and could read him like a book. Why did he even bother hiding how he felt?

"How about I explain it for you, and you tell me how close I come to the truth?" she suggested, twirling the peacock feather in her hands. "So, you were a restless young man who fought and traveled the world in search of himself. When the war was over you stayed with us because you were free to go anywhere you wanted. Then you became involved with me and you worried that once you had a stronger reason for staying than for leaving you would be sacrificing your freedom. How am I going so far?"

"Catherine, it's true that the fact that we were…intimate had something to do with my choice. But it's not…"

"Intimate, Trowa?" she said, cutting him off. "Why can't you just say we were having sex? Are you ashamed of that?" As she questioned him, the hurt was evident in her eyes. He knew that - more than anything - she had feared that he would have regrets.

"I was never ashamed of you Catherine," he told her, gently placing a hand on her shoulder as tears pooled in her eyes. "Never."

She gave a hiccuping sort of sob. "Then why didn't you stay with us? With me? You didn't think about us…the ones who would be left behind."

As the tears began to fall, Trowa pulled her closer and held her in his arms. Suddenly, with her words and the way he was holding her, he found himself 6 years in the past. She had saved his life that night when he was so ready to die. And he had been so selfish that he couldn't save her from this life she was living now. He was right. He had never been ashamed of her but now he realised that he was ashamed of himself. He was ashamed of leaving her so suddenly; he was ashamed of questioning her choice in lifestyle when he hadn't even sent a letter or note to check that she was ok.

"Catherine," he said, pulling her back so she had to look in his eyes. "Come with me. Please. I know…I've made mistakes. But I'm going to try and make up for things."

She shook her head. "You can't. I have…there's someone else."

Trowa felt a sudden nausea overcome him. For the first time in his life, he was jealous. "Someone else?"

"I…things were worse than this once, Trowa. I did some things I'm not proud of. For money."

"Catherine, I don't care…what's in the past is in the past."

"I know, I know," she stepped away from his grasp. "But at the time…he…he was kind to me. He took care of me and gave me more than I needed. I wouldn't have survived if not for him."

"Do you love him?" Trowa couldn't hide the distaste in his voice.

"No, of course not. I could never love anyone after you," she confessed. "Still, he…he owns me. And I do owe him. But for him…it's only about…"

Her voice trailed off into silence.

"I see."

"Trowa, please don't say it like that!" Catherine cried. "I was starving, I could barely stand. You have no idea what it's like; to have no other choice. I cried every night after I saw him. Sometimes I still do."

"Then let me take you away," he said. "You won't have to think about those things ever again."

"Trowa, I…"

_Knock, knock._

"Damn," cursed Trowa.

"Who is it?"

"Natalie. He's here. He wants to know when you're coming out."

"Ok. Tell him I'll be there in a minute."

Catherine turned desperate eyes to Trowa. "That's him. I have to go. And he can't see you here. Go out the back exit into the alley."

"But…"

"Give me one week. I want to go with you, I do. But I have things to take care of first. Give me one week, please."

Trowa nodded. "One week, then. I'll return for you, I swear."

"I know," she said, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you then."

Trowa found the thoughts in his head tumbling over and over themselves as he stood in the alleyway beside The Two Legs. So much had happened in the past few minutes; he hadn't even had time to think things out. But he didn't need to. Just the way his body had reacted to seeing her again reassured him he wasn't wrong - he needed Catherine and taking her away from this life would be just as much saving himself as he was saving her.

She had been so right. He had left the circus when he feared he was losing his freedom. But the thing was, even with missions keeping him busy he was never more empty and directionless. His stupid pride wouldn't allow him to admit he was wrong. And by the time he overcame that, he was sure it would have been too late for things to go back to the way they were.

Duo's approach was enough to break him out of his thoughts. Which was probably for the best; the past was the past.

"Hey Trowa, Natalie told me you'd be out here," he said, then waited patiently for Trowa to say what he was going to say. Duo wasn't going to pry.

"It was her," Trowa said finally. "I'm coming back in one week for her."

Duo couldn't hide his grin. "That's great, man. Good for you."

"Yeah, but there are things to worry about first."

"Like what?"

Trowa nodded to the black sedan pulled up at the curb. "That, for example. She's got a keeper," he said, the last word tinged with hate.

"Oh," was all Duo could say. Then, as they watched from the shadows, Catherine emerged, dressed in a short purple dress. A chauffeur held the door for her as she climbed in and Trowa had to bite his lip to keep himself from calling her back. All the jealousy and rage couldn't overcome his logic though; he would only ruin things by acting too early.

But all the emotions were overcome by shock when he saw the face of the man who climbed into the car beside her and kissed her on the cheek before the door closed. He could only stand there in the alley until Duo quietly said, "Trowa? Are you okay? You're not planning to kill that guy are you?"

"Maybe I'll have to anyway," he answered. "Do you know who that was Duo?"

"Not really, but he looks familiar. Why? Do you?"

"Yes. Duo, that was Leonard Sincarno. Chairman of Legacy."

* * *

Author's Note: Sorry about the problems with this chapter. I had to load it twice, in case anyone's confused. Please review anyway. 


	3. Chapter 2: Call Your Name

A/N: Firstly, this chapter is dedicated to the following lovely people who reviewed my previous chapters – it is for you guys that we keep writing. My sincere apologies for the late update - to be honest, I'd almost forgotten all about this story. But don't worry, it's already complete so nothing but regular updates from now on. I promise.

This fic is dedicated to the following lovely reviewers:

Billysgotagun

Mama-sama (special thanks for reviewing both chapters)

Animouse03

Inda

Liesl944

Ok, and on to the next chapter.

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or any of it's characters. Sadly.

**Chapter 2: Call Your Name**

_When love beckons to you, follow him, _

_Though his ways are hard and steep. _

_And when his wings enfold you, yield to him. _

_And when he speaks to you, believe in him._

_Though his voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste the garden_

_Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet_

Wufei had made it a rule of honor not to eavesdrop. Like all the rules he set on himself he tried his hardest to obey them. Unfortunately for him, his hearing was exceptional and often he found himself hearing things he never meant to. So he adjusted the rule so that he wouldn't actually act on what he heard.

That morning, he broke his rule.

It wasn't intentional. He'd come by Sally Po's office to hand in his last mission report when he heard Colonel Une inside talking to his partner.

"I will be sending the identification you'll need by courier tonight. But the mission brief is already there. You know the drill," Une's voice came through the door. "I don't suppose I need to emphasise how important your mission is."

"I know, Colonel. Don't worry, I won't let you down."

Wufei was about to knock on the door - he really didn't need to be secretive about his presence - when he heard something that worried him, though he couldn't explain why.

"Now Sally, I don't have to tell you that you're a beautiful woman," said Une. "I expect you to use every asset you have to get the information we need."

"I see. Any dishonorable conduct I may need to…"

"Will be ignored and will not appear in the report. I won't have your reputation damaged for the sake of a mission. Especially considering the sacrifices you're about to make," Une said firmly. "However, if you want to back out, now is the time to say so. I would understand."

"No, I will complete the mission."

Wufei was especially worried now. He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck prickling. 'Beautiful woman' and 'reputation' weren't words that seemed to have anything to do with missions. And certainly not 'dishonorable conduct'. He heard the sounds of Une leaving and instinctively stepped away from the door.

"Colonel," he saluted as she left Sally's office. Not a muscle on his face showed how he felt.

"Wufei."

He entered Sally's office. If she was worried about anything Une had said, she didn't show it. Wufei resisted the temptation to stare at the plain manila folder sitting on her desk. "I have the report you wanted."

"That's great, thanks," she said and flashed him one of her smiles. It was that smile that got Wufei every time. It made her blue eyes sparkle mischievously. _Curse it,_ Wufei thought, _when did I start thinking about my partner this way? It's not right._

He knew the answer to his question though - since the moment he met her. He'd known she was special straight away; the fact that he tolerated her stubbornness was proof enough of that. But how far could he afford to take his feelings when he didn't know hers and when it was an unwritten law that you didn't develop relationships with your co-workers?

Then again, the relationship was already there. It was obvious that they were good friends; they went to dinner together often and shared things that they didn't share with anyone else.

"Wufei?" she asked and he realized he had just been standing there thinking. Stupid.

"Woman, I…"

The phone rang and Wufei let out a sigh of relief.

"Sally here…yeah…uh-huh…can't they fix it themselves…alright, I'll be there soon." She put the receiver back in the cradle. "Sorry. Those technicians can fix any machine in the world but when it comes to a small financial matter they're all at sea. Don't go away, I'll be right back."

And with that she was gone. The manila folder sat on Sally's desk, seeming to taunt him. Finally he could stand it no more and opened the folder, reading the mission briefing upside down. An undercover mission into Legacy itself (Wufei knew they'd been a thorn in the Preventer's side for a long time), there was nothing he could see that would hint at Lady Une's unusual orders. Still, Wufei was nervous.

It wasn't that he didn't have confidence in Sally; he would never admit it but she had a lot more strength than he gave her credit for. On the other hand, the mission seemed to involve meeting with Leonard Sincarno himself and something about that guy made Wufei tense - maybe it was the rumors of his questionable conduct outside of the public's eye or simply that he was a threat to the peace that the Preventers had worked so hard to maintain…he found the thought of Sally meeting with a man like that more than distasteful; it sickened him.

Before Sally could return, Wufei left her office. He needed to see Colonel Une.

* * *

Sally Po stopped herself just in time. She had run up from the technician's hanger after getting an urgent call from Colonel Une. It was kind of surprising then, to see Wufei standing in Une's office as well and her first instinct was to reach up and smooth down her messy hair. 

_Oh my God, Sally,_ she chastised herself. _What are you doing? He's your partner for Pete's sake. What were you going to do; flirt with him in front of your commanding officer? Get a grip._

Without flinching, she turned the raised hand into a salute. "You wanted me, Colonel Une?"

"Yes, Sally," she said. "I was just talking with Wufei and I've decided to change your mission somewhat."

"_The _mission?" Sally asked as she resisted the temptation to glare at Wufei. She knew he had to have something to do with this but he wasn't even meant to know what she was up to. He would freak out if he did. _The folder!_ Damn it, she'd left it on her desk in full view of him. She wasn't sure whether to be mad at him for poking his nose where it didn't belong or mad at herself for being so careless.

"Yes, that mission," answered Une. "Wufei pointed out to me that while you are getting the information from Sincarno he could be infiltrating the armed forces themselves as a qualified soldier."

Sally relaxed. That wasn't so bad.

"What will his cover be, then? Just so I'll know," she added.

Colonel Une smiled calmly. "Why, Sally, he'll be your husband of course. You'll be working together on this one…it's much safer in pairs…"

"What? My…husband?," Sally sputtered. "Why couldn't he be my brother?"

"We don't look anything alike," Wufei interjected. "No one would believe us. Why so worried? We're only acting after all. This is no different from any other undercover mission."

_Like hell it is,_ thought Sally. _If it was, you would have been happy enough to let me do this on my own. But oh, no, I'm the big strong man and I can't let a woman risk her life on a dangerous mission. _Then again, she wasn't sure whether he was acting out of consideration for her as a partner or her as a woman. Either way, it was annoying.

"I guess so," she said. "So what's the plan now?"

"Same as before," Une said, careful not to look Sally directly in the eyes. But the blonde woman got the hint and realised that her orders from earlier were still there. Get the information from Sincarno at any cost. Now it would just be a little trickier because she would have to act in Wufei's presence. Oh well, she wasn't one to back away from a challenge. "Wufei's documents should be finished by this afternoon so you'll still be able to leave for New York tonight. Sincarno is in the colonies at the moment, but is scheduled to return day after tomorrow. With any luck, you'll be able to arrange a meeting with him four days from now, five at the most. But remember to be on your toes at all other times. We can't tell for sure how many Legacy officers are in the colonies at the moment but hopefully that something you two will discover while you're there. That will be all."

Sally and Wufei both saluted before leaving. They walked together in silence but the moment they reached Sally's office and the door was closed, she turned on him.

"What the hell did you think you were doing?" she asked, her face flushed with anger. "You went through my mission notes then instead of coming to me with any concerns you had you went straight to Une. I don't know what you said, but somehow you gave her the idea that sending you with me was a good idea! And as husband and wife, no less! Were you even thinking how I would feel?"

Wufei (calm as anything, curse him) merely leant against her door and crossed his arms. "I can see why you would be upset and I'm not entirely proud of what I did. But it was for your own good."

"My own good, Wufei? Since when did my 'good' become your concern?"

"We're partners, woman. I am allowed to show concern for the wellbeing of my fellow officers, aren't I?"

Sally moved around her desk to stand in front of him. "Your arrogance amazes me, Wufei," she said through gritted teeth. "You interfere with my mission then act as if I needed your help. I'm not some damsel in distress you know. I'm a Preventer officer, just like you are. You've let me go on missions before. Why suddenly the knight in shining armor act?"

"Because you've never been worried about committing a 'dishonorable act' on your missions before," answered Wufei quietly.

"You weren't meant to hear that," whispered Sally, her anger dissolving into her guilt. _By any means possible. _Une's words echoed in her mind as she searched for the right words. "You weren't meant to know."

"Know what?" He demanded.

"I can't tell you. It would jeopardize our mission and with it, the lives of many people on earth and in the colonies. So no, I can't tell you." She turned her head away.

There was silence for a long time. Then Wufei said, "I can see I'm not the only one who likes to play the knight in shining armour. And I'm not the only one who is deceptive." The hurt in his voice was evident and Sally felt even more ashamed. Not only for what she knew she was about to do, but for what she'd just done. At a great cost to himself, Wufei had finally allowed someone to get close to him. He had gained a weakness in her and in having a partner and all she'd been able to repay him with was her loyalty and his sense of trust in her. Now she'd damaged that trust - they'd never kept secrets from each other before - and she could almost sense him doubting his choice to let her get so close.

"Wufei, please…"

He turned on his heel. "I'll see you later." Without looking back, he left.

When he was gone Sally paced to the door, paced back to her desk, to the door then finally picked up the largest book from her shelf and threw it. "Men!" she fumed.

* * *

Leonard Sincarno, easily the most pivotal figure in humankind's history at that moment, seemed mostly unaware of the fact as he lay on his king sized bed at the hotel. But as always - except when he was asleep or with a woman - the pressures of his position were weighing down on him again Careful not to wake Cat, he slipped out of bed, put on a robe and stood by the window to think. Besides giving him the opportunity to see Cat again his visit to the colonies had so far been mostly uneventful; the damn colony leaders had flat out refused to make any bargains with him until they received word from the World High Council. But the position of the colonies was of great importance to him; if they agreed to house Legacy's weaponry and mobile suits he would have the upper hand in the coming war which - he was sure - was only a matter of weeks away, if even that. The World High Council, for all their power, had backed themselves into a corner and had little choice but to submit to a war with Legacy's forces. Only then could those who had died for nothing - for no one's power or glory - rest in peace. 

He knew this, and his soldiers knew this; it was what sanctioned their decision to begin even more bloodshed. The way of their loved one's demise would be their way to salvation.

Eager for news, Sincarno turned on his laptop and made communications with one of his soldiers on earth, Commander Keith Johnson.

"Sir," Johnson said upon seeing his leader.

"No need to stand on formalities, Johnson, I've told you that before," said Sincarno. "What news on the Vice Foreign Minister's decision?"

Johnson looked to his right and Sincarno knew he was checking the line was secure. "Bad news, sir. She's disappeared."

"What!" Sincarno cried, then lowered his voice when Cat mumbled in her sleep. "What was that?" he asked again, his voice lower.

"There was a shooting - she received a single bullet wound to the stomach - but when our people moved in to take her, a young man interfered. The two soldiers managed to give a good eye witness report and heard the Lieutenant Noin refer to the man as 'Heero'."

"How did he interfere?" Sincarno asked as an artist's sketch appeared on the screen as well. He was stunned by the coldness in the man's eyes and was haunted by how much his own eyes were beginning to look that way.

Johnson looked uncomfortable. "He chased down the van they were in. He jumped on board then attacked the driver and took control of the vehicle. When the second soldier attempted to investigate, the young man braked suddenly and our man was injured. They were forced to leave the scene when Lieutenant Noin and Zechs Marquise arrived."

"The Vice Foreign Minister's Condition?"

"She received a bullet wound to the stomach but it was apparently self-inflicted."

Sincarno frowned. "A coward's way out. Yet surprisingly, self-sacrificing. She knew her death would delay the deaths of many. And the young man?"

"We have every reason to believe he's still alive. The minister was still in a critical condition before he interrupted the mission."

"Then they must be in a hospital somewhere; possibly nearby. They can't have disappeared completely. The WHC has no knowledge of their whereabouts?"

"I checked personally, sir," answered Johnson. "They do not know either but are covering it up nonetheless. Trying to avoid panic is my guess. And now that Lieutenant Noin and Zechs Marquise know our intentions, it may be even harder to track them down."

"I have faith in you, I know you will find them."

"Thank you sir. I will make it my top priority."

"Good. I…" Sincarno stopped when he heard Cat mumble in her sleep again. But this time, he could almost make out a name. Curious, Sincarno moved closer to the bed.

"Sir, is something wrong?" he heard Johnson ask.

Cat was stirring now, a frown crossing her fine features. "Trowa…don't leave me again," she said softly. Leaning beside her, Sincarno whispered, "I'm here."

"Trowa?" she asked, still half asleep. "Don't leave me….circus…Preventers."

At her words, Sincarno stood up. Perhaps his little bed mate had more than one use after all. He went back to Johnson. "Oh, Johnson, while you're at it, I need you to track down files on someone who could be a Preventer soldier. I only have one name, though. Trowa."

* * *

The figure crouched at the door to Hilde Schbeiker's house, his face hidden in darkness. The artificial light in the colony had been dimmed a long time ago and it had been 'night' for more hours than he could count. But how many, he wasn't sure. The alcohol was dimming his brain and the last few hours were fuzzy to say the least. 

He remembered distinctly what had happened at The Two Legs and Trowa's reaction. Surprisingly, the other pilot had then asked to be taken to more bars and together the two men got very, very drunk. At the end of the night Trowa had refused Duo's invite to stay with him and Hilde, mumbling something about not wanting to be there when she saw how hammered they had gotten before hailing down the nearest cab and returning to his motel. Other than that, things were pretty much a blur.

Cursing, Duo fumbled again for his keys. It had been a while since he'd been this drunk and he was out of practice. He could have sworn that he'd left with his keys that afternoon…or maybe he hadn't. Finally, Duo decided that climbing through the back window which was usually unlocked might be a better idea.

In the second surprise of the night, he made it through the window without injury and was on his way towards his bedroom when he was suddenly tackled to the ground. In the half-light from the street lamps he could see his attacker raise a fist and…

"Hilde?"

The figure raised a hand and flicked on the hall light. "Duo? What on earth are you doing?"

"What am _I_ doing?" he repeated, looking at the petite blue-haired pixie straddling his stomach. She was only wearing a matching PJ Singlet and shorts but didn't seem to notice her state of undress just yet. "How about what are you doing? You're the one who tackled me, babe. Not the other way around."

"Well, you were the one sneaking in the back window," she said, tilting her head to one side with amusement. "And you reek of alcohol. What happened to your keys?"

"Whoa, slow down," said Duo and put a hand to his forehead. "My head is spinning bad enough as it is. Um…what did you say…oh, yeah…keys. Um, I think I lost them. Or maybe I didn't bring them."

Hilde sighed. "What am I going to do with you, Duo?"

"I could think of some things," he replied teasingly and for the first time Hilde realized what position they were in. But for some reason, she didn't move. The feel of Duo's body beneath hers…his abs sitting between her thighs was a feeling so new but so exciting. Hilde fought to remember why she didn't want this…

"Mmmm," she found herself moaning as Duo gently rocked beneath her. He didn't reply but took her response as a signal to go further. Slowly he took his hands - calloused from their work - and ran them along her thighs and up to her hips where he could guide her motions along his body.

As Hilde lost herself to the blissful feelings that were working up from where Duo's hands touched her and gathering in her abdomen, she trailed tips of her fingers up Duo's arms, across his shoulders and down his shirt, working their way under the hem and across his bare chest. His skin was rough but firm beneath her touch and seemed to warm up beneath the tips of her fingers. He growled low in his throat and it gave Hilde pleasure to know she was giving pleasure to him.

Duo's hands, in turn, slid up from her waist to beneath her top; half-tickling, half-caressing. When he reached her chest, he slowly massaged each breast in turn, causing Hilde's head to loll back in bliss.

"Duo…" she began. But before she could say anymore he sat up and Duo and Hilde shared their first kiss.

It was so soft at first; little more than a touching of lips. Then Duo ran his tongue across her lower lip, silently asking for access which she granted. Their tongues touched and fought in passionate need. Hilde could feel herself losing what was left of her grip on self-control when she realised something she'd been foolishly avoiding so far.

"I…we can't," she gasped out, pushing him away. The look of hurt on Duo's face was almost enough to break her resolve. Almost.

"Duo, you're drunk," she said softly. She could taste the alcohol on her lips.

"So?"

"You can't understand what you're doing. You wouldn't be doing this if you were sober."

Duo looked even more hurt, if that were possible. "Yes I would. Hilde, babe, I…"

"No, please don't say it."

"I want to…I should have a long time ago," he told her, trying to pull her closer but she resisted.

"Duo, please don't say it. You don't understand the consequences of what you say," she told him, standing up. "For both our sakes, I can't let this happen. I'm so sorry Duo." Hilde fled to her room as the tears began to well in her eyes. She locked the door behind her just as they started to fall, tracing little lines down her cheeks to her lips, where the taste of Duo's lips still remained.

_Idiot, idiot, idiot, _Hilde cursed herself. She should have seen this coming. It was a fact that both she and Duo had been fighting for some time, that there was something more between them than mere friendship. Although, at times, it seemed she was fighting it a lot harder than he was. She had more reason to. For a long time now, Duo had a major part of her life. In fact, the life she had rebuilt after Oz was only possible with his strength and companionship. If she lost him now, it would all fall apart. He meanwhile, would pick up and go on without her. He was lucky that way.

Sometimes, though, it was almost unbearable how much she wanted him…no, how much she wanted to belong to him. Old-fashioned as it may seemed, she wanted to be his, she wanted permission to follow him and to continue to build her life around him and his unbelievable faith in the power to change your circumstances, no matter what.

But she had to fight those feelings. If they took things further and he couldn't manage such strong commitment and left…she shuddered to think about it. No, better then to keep things at a strong friendship. They had to, for once, betray what they had learnt as pilots. Their instincts were their enemies in this case.

"Duo…" she whispered to the empty room, almost hoping that he would come to the door to try and convince her to come out and talk. A few more minutes passed and Hilde was beginning to believe he'd left; maybe even passed out. So she gave a little cry of alarm when there was a knock on the door behind her.

"Hilde?" Duo asked.

There was something…different…in his voice that made Hilde reply quickly. "What is it?"

"It's Quatre on the vid phone. Relena's been shot."

* * *

Hilde crouched beside Duo in front of the screen. 

"Quatre, are you sure?" she asked, skipping the formalities. "When…how…?"

Quatre ran a hand through his blonde locks. It was the first time either Hilde or Duo had seen him make such a display of worry. "I'm not sure exactly. I just got off the phone with Noin and Zechs. They told me that Relena tried to end her own life," he said nervously. "I'm afraid to say I foresaw this…thus, the email I asked you to send, Duo…I was too late…"

"Focus, buddy," said Duo, suddenly quite sober. He recognized that Quatre was still in shock though, and beginning to blabber.

"Sorry. Well, Heero showed up in time to stop her initial attempt but apparently she took his gun instead and…" There was a brief silence. "In any case, she's still alive but they're on their way here now on the fastest helicopter I could find them."

"There?" asked Hilde. "I thought you were in Cairo. Surely there must be somewhere closer?"

"There's more. When the paramedics were called Heero spotted that they weren't legitimate. He chased them down - that's our Heero for you - and stopped them. I don't know the full details yet, I'm afraid."

"Legacy, you think?" asked Duo. "I've heard they would profit from Relena's death."

"Yes," agreed Quatre. "But she's not dead - just missing. So the WHC goes into suspension until she returns. And that puts a spanner in the works for Legacy."

"And how long do you think that will be for, Quatre?" asked Hilde. "I mean, how bad are her injuries?"

"Not good," he said. "But I'm no doctor. We'll just have to wait and see. This may be the only safe place for her now. Which is why I called you straight away. Do you think you could do me a favor?"

"Anything," answered Duo, but his voice was grim. Another mission.

"Tell the others - make sure Lady Une knows. And if you could, could you take on the job of misinforming the enemy? Under no circumstances can they find out her location," Quatre's voice was suddenly calm and serious. Like back during the war. "I would leave it to the Preventers but they have enough on their plate."

"Mission accepted," said Duo, out of force of habit. He carefully ignored the brief look of pain that crossed Hilde's face as he said it. "I mean, yeah…ok. I'll do that tonight."

"Thanks Duo. I won't contact you again. It's not safe."

"I understand."

And the connection was broken. Too short a transmission to be traced. _Some things never change,_ thought Duo as he leaned back in his chair. All too easily, he had slipped back into soldier mode. He moved back to his computer and prepared to work on Quatre's assignment. He never even noticed Hilde leave the room.

* * *

As Sally stood in the middle of the airport terminal and let her mind wander back on her day there was only one thing to do. Sigh. 

It wasn't bad enough that Une had told her she had to go to all lengths to get the information from Sincarno - and if the briefing on the Legacy's leader behavior with women wasn't hinting enough Une herself had added that Sally was equipped with the skills necessary to entice what they wanted out of him.

Sure, she knew she had done more despicable things on the battlefield, things that she could never be proud of. But this was different; it was personal and Sally wasn't sure she had the right kind of mentality to seduce a man for knowledge - not that she had to go that far. But if she needed to, she had permission.

To top it off, Wufei had been bull-headed and invited himself along. And as her husband no less! It was one thing to seduce a man in private, but in front of the man who was supposed to be her 'husband' was going to require subtlety and cunning that Sally worried she might not have. And if Wufei even had a sniff of what she was doing he would be worse than angry; she shivered at the morality lecture she would receive.

No, better yet to keep it secret.

"I should take that for you," a voice said behind her and Sally spun around.

Wufei.

"Take what?"

"Your bag," he said, his tone surprisingly light. _Damn him, why can't I seem as bright and chirpy at 3 o'clock in the morning?_

"Oh, yeah. Um, no, that's ok. I'll keep it for now."

"I should take it for you," Wufei whispered to her. "Your husband would."

Silently, Sally handed the bag over and tried not to meet Wufei's eyes as she did. "Wufei, I want to say something. About how I acted earlier…I wanted to say…"

_Flight 460 for New York will be departing from gate 16 in 30 minutes. Flight 460..._

"That's our flight, woman," said Wufei, picking up both their bags. "We'd best get moving."

Sally shot a quick glance upwards as they moved to check in. _I swear,_ she silently thought to the Gods, _you must hate me._

* * *

The flight to New York was a long one. Sally never noticed. A restless night and the stress of the last few days…no, the last few months…combined to put her to sleep within a few minutes after taking off. When she finally awoke, dawn was peaking over the horizon and they were within an hour of landing. 

"You must have been very tired," said a voice as she first opened her eyes.

Sally sat up startled as she discovered she'd fallen asleep on Wufei's shoulder. She rubbed her eyes sleepily, but it was really a cover for the blush she suddenly found herself developing.

"I was a little," she admitted. "I'm sorry I fell asleep; I know you wanted to go over the mission notes again."

"It doesn't matter," Wufei replied, his voice distant. "We will have time at the hotel; it will keep us occupied."

Sally nodded her agreement before turning to watch the sunrise. She was intrigued by the realization that, though they had left the Luxembourg base of the Preventer headquarters just a few hours before sunrise and they had traveled for many hours, they were only now watching the sun come up. It was like time had slowed down for them.

"It's amazing, isn't it?" Sally found herself asking out loud. "It takes my breath away."

"Then I guess now is as good a time as any to do this," Wufei said from over her shoulder. "Before you get the breath to argue."

"What?" began Sally, turning to face him but finding herself face to face with a small, velvet box. Behind it, Wufei's face gave nothing away. "Well?" he asked her. "Are you going to take it?"

She did, noticing for the first time how it felt to brush Wufei's fingers with her own. It wasn't an entirely unpleasant feeling. She opened the box. There, on a pillow of white satin, sat the most beautiful, solitaire diamond ring she had ever seen.

"Wufei," Sally blinked. No, the ring was still there, catching the morning sun's rays and making it glow orange-yellow-red. "I don't understand."

"Une wanted to loan me one for you to wear during this mission," Wufei stated. "But I wanted it to be one a ring of real value, even if this mission is only one of make-believe." He took the ring and slid it onto her third finger. "This ring belonged to Meiran."

Sally was surprised into silence for the second time in as many minutes. After all the time they'd known each other Wufei had never mentioned his first wife, at least not by name. And now, for him to give her her ring…Sally wasn't sure what to think and said so.

"She would want you to wear it," Wufei explained. "You have so much in common. Your courage, for example. I'm just sorry I never tell you that."

"I'm sorry too," Sally replied. "You were right, I did betray your trust."

"Yes. But you betrayed it for the mission and for justice. I did it out of my own fears." Wufei hung his eyes and closed his eyes. "I was weak."

Sally sighed. "Oh, no. Let's not start that again. The last time you did that, I nearly had to get myself blown up to break you out of your slump."

"I could have done that myself."

"Yeah, right," said Sally sarcastically. "And I'm the Queen of England."

"Well, that explains a lot then," he said, grinning as Sally punched him playfully on the arm. She was glad that they had their old partnership back. And it seemed as strong as ever.

It would have to be. To survive what was coming ahead.

R&R please


	4. Chapter 3: Endure Through This

Been a long break so without further delay…

Oh, you know I don't own this, right?

Rating: M

**Chapter 3: Endure Through This**

_You know where you've sent her, you sure know where you are,_

_You're trying to ease up, but you know you won't get far._

_All the feelings that you hide, gonna tear you up inside _

_You hope she knows you tried…_

_Lene Marlin, 'Unforgivable Sinner'_

Heero rested his head against the cold glass of the window. He almost wished the bandages around his head weren't so padded; then he could beat his brains out against the glass with anger and frustration.

"Suction."

"Blood pressure's dropping. 100 over…"

"We need more O-neg. Get another bag set up for transfusion…"

The operating room was the definition of organization. Heero hoped that if he focused on the calm precision of the doctors more than the sight of Relena - pale and lifeless on the table, breathing with the help of a machine, her blood everywhere, including on his clothes - then maybe he could relax. So far it wasn't working.

"We should get you cleaned up," Quatre said. Heero hadn't even heard him approach. He had assumed the young man was still with Zechs and Noin downstairs, covering their tracks from England.

"I hate it when you do that."

"Do what? Sneak up on you or know your emotions?" asked Quatre, the look of concern in his blue eyes never leaving.

"Both."

"She'll be okay," Quatre tried to assure him. "My sister is good at her job."

Heero glanced again at the head surgeon, her blond hair beneath the surgical cap a sign of her inheritance, even if her name was not. Yes, Dr. Nathan was young, skilled and every bit a Winner. But she was not a miracle worker.

"We're jeopardizing this entire hospital by being here," Heero said.

"We're as safe here as we are anywhere. They won't know of this place. And what would you rather have done?"

Heero hung his head. Quatre was right, as always. They were trapped like rabbits. Relena was the target but there was no way in hell he would have her anywhere but a hospital at the moment. He was a target too but there was also no way in hell he would leave her until she woke up and he would be able to tell her just how sorry he was.

"This isn't your fault, Heero."

"I thought I told you I hated it when you did that."

Quatre shrugged. "I don't need empathic gifts to know what you're thinking right now. And I was right; this isn't your fault. So you shouldn't think that."

"My gun. My fault. It's as simple as that," Heero said. He clenched his fists. "My fault."

"She wanted to take her life, Heero," said Quatre. "Even if you hadn't been there, she would have found a way."

"But there's the heart of the problem," Heero told his fellow pilot sadly.

"What's that?"

The Japanese man moved a hand up to touch the glass. It was cold, the way Relena's skin had been beneath his touch as her life slipped out of her.

"All this time, I wasn't there."

_

* * *

__Breathe in._

_Breathe out._

_Breathe in._

_Breathe out._

Duo watched, fascinated, as Hilde slept on the couch and the way her chest rose softly with each breath. Such a simple combination of opposites - in and out - kept the whole thing going. Without it, there was no life.

The irony of that wasn't lost on Duo; he saw the opposing combination that was he and Hilde and how it all seemed to work together. He was death. She was life. He was anger. She was joy. He was an idiot and she was the one who got hurt.

No, last nights events had not, unfortunately for Duo, been wiped clear by the effect of a hangover. Nor had sleep been able to clear his mind since he'd never slept. Just kept working away at his computer well into the dawn.

Hilde had been awake for most of it, bringing him coffee and devising ways of clearing their schedule over the next few days. But finally she must have given up and fallen asleep on the couch. Duo had come in a few hours later and covered her with a blanket before sitting down to watch her.

He would have given everything he had to take back last night. Not out of regret. Kissing Hilde, lying beneath her, had been the closest thing he'd found to heaven. No, he could never regret that. He regretted that he had loved it too much, that there was no going back for him.

But for Hilde, he knew there was more to it than just the physical. He wasn't as oblivious as she might have thought he was - he knew her fears for him and that, even as friends, she had always hidden a part of herself away from him. That way, if he left her, she would have a part of herself untouched by his presence, a part that could live on without him. If she allowed herself to be with him, she would lose that secret part of her being.

Duo now regretted that he didn't only keep a small part of himself from Hilde, he kept a large part indeed. His past, his fears, his urge to kill; he'd kept all those from her lest they taint her goodness with their evil. Yet, at the same time, it was still a part of him and by denying her that, she'd got the impression that he had never really opened to her and that the fighting may always be a bigger part of his life than she was.

Though if she saw the worst part of himself, would she still care for him?

Duo gave himself a mental kick. Of course she would. Hilde's heart was bigger than any past, any sin. She could save him if only he could protect her from the consequences of loving the God of Death - intense love, which could at any moment be ended in intense battle.

It was a terrible trap to be caught in. And they had been fine with it until last night; until Duo's traitorous body showed them both just how good it could really be.

Now how was he going to make it up to her? The question still lingered in his mind as Hilde stirred, blinking against the sunlight.

"Duo? What time is it?"

"7. You should get some more sleep," he said softly. "It was a long night."

Hilde turned her eyes to the heavens and draped a hand across her forehead wearily. "I can't sleep at a time like this. I hope Relena's okay. I don't know what we'll do without her."

Duo saw past Hilde's comment. "We're all doing our best to keep the peace, Hilde. Things will be okay."

She nodded but her eyes betrayed that she didn't really believe him.

"It _will_ be okay, Hilde," Duo repeated.

Smiling wanly, Hilde stood up. "I know you'll be just fine, Duo. Now how about I make us some coffee?"

Duo never had time to reply to Hilde's cryptic statement before she left the room. He watched her retreating back sadly.

"Hilde…"

* * *

"The breaking news just in. Vice Foreign Minister Relena Darlain has gone missing as of last night. Gunshots were heard at the residence she shared with her brother, Zechs Marquise a.k.a. Milliardo Peacecraft and Lucrezia Noin at approximately 11 pm last night. Neighbors report seeing an ambulance arrive and Mr. Peacecraft's car follow the ambulance away from the residence but no sign has been seen of either Mr. Peacecraft, Ms. Noin, Minister Darlain or the paramedics. Eyewitnesses report seeing a mystery man as well. They also report Minister Darlain looking seriously injured but her current state has yet to be determined. We now cross to our New York political correspondent, Mark Johansen, who is standing outside the World High Council building in London. Mark?"

"Good morning, Jodie."

"Now Mark, I understand the ramifications of Minister Darlain's disappearance are quite serious. Can you confirm that?"

"I can Jodie. The World High Council was set to vote on the Legacy Benefit Case early tomorrow evening. While Minister Darlain cannot directly influence the proceedings, her vote is required as much as any member's on the council and without her, the vote cannot go ahead."

"How long would the World High Council wait before declaring Minister Darlain a null voter?"

"Well Jodie, until her death is confirmed, heaven forbid, or until at least 1 year has passed since her disappearance. Until then, the Council is in suspension."

"I see. And what statement had Mr. Sincarno, chairman of Legacy, made on the situation? Can you report?"

"Mr. Sincarno has stated, and I quote, 'I hope only for the safe and hasty return of Minister Darlain. It is obvious that activists or terrorists intent on halting these legal proceedings are behind this and I also sincerely hope they are brought to justice soon.'"

"Thank you Mark, that will be all."

"Thank you Jodie."

"Ok, we'll now cross to our coverage of other news events this morning…"

The single occupant of the office stood up and turned off the television. As a lawyer working for the World High Council, she knew everything there was to be said anyway. Not that it was of any benefit to her; it was all lies anyway.

The truth was, if Relena was missing Sincarno was either behind it or secretly partying that she was out of his hair - the last barrier between him and retribution. But there was something amiss…the WHC had been so close to granting either of Sincarno's demands. Why would he jeopardize that by trying to kill, or at the least, kidnapping Relena? Especially when she was hopelessly outnumbered in the vote as it was.

The woman sighed; it just didn't make sense. But it was about to. From a secure line she'd established on her personal computer, she began her search. It started with the Preventer database - it was a long shot: they would never have such secretive information as Relena's whereabouts on something as insecure as the computer database. And they didn't - no luck there. Next was known computer databases used by her old acquaintances for transferring mission reports - once again, no luck. Finally, she was down to her last resort. It was DEFINITELY a long shot, but then again, did she have any other choice?

A long time ago she'd discovered that her acquaintances certainly were clever for young boys and knew ways of making phone calls in such a way as the number couldn't be identified, even on the bill. But they still had yet to master how to conceal the time of the call and from which city it had been made.

The news reports had said 11pm so she brought up every call made around that time from the five different bills. The first three were a bust - not a single call. The woman was beginning to feel disgruntled. She hated being eluded. Then on the fourth bill she hit gold. A number of calls made, all at between 11:20 and 11:40. She hit a few more keys and a second later the city source of the calls came up.

Cairo.

Dorothy Catalonia leaned back in her seat and smiled.

_Damn, _she thought to herself. _I am soooo good. Cairo, here I come._

* * *

"I have good news and bad news," Dr. Iria Nathan told them. Straightaway, she hated how it had sounded; clichéd and trite. She had hoped she could have come up with something more honest or sincere for the family of one of her brother's friends. But as she looked into the eyes of Zechs Marquise, Lucrezia Noin, Heero Yui and her brother, Quatre, she realised they only cared about what she had to say, not how she said it.

"The bad news first," Heero said and no one seemed to want to argue with this.

"The bullet hit some major arteries," she said. "Miss Relena lost a lot of blood. We got the bleeding under control but I can't judge how long her brain went for without a sufficient supply of oxygen. At the best, it could mean nothing."

"We shouldn't have brought her here," Quatre said, shaking his head. "We took too long."

Noin placed a hand on his shoulder sympathetically. "We did the best we could, Quatre. We did have her stabilised before we left London…"

"What's the worst case scenario, then?" interrupted Zechs, his blue eyes glinting with repressed anger. Though at what, he didn't seem to have figured out yet.

"Permanent brain damage," Dr. Nathan said. No point in beating around the bush. "She may never wake up."

At that point Dr. Nathan's sharp eyes caught sight of Heero digging his nails into his palms hard enough to draw blood, but declined to comment. She wasn't sure how to deal with the angry young man, or what to make of his unusual way of showing emotion.

"The good news?" he muttered.

"The good news is the bullet missed any major organs," said the young doctor. "If there has been no brain damage, Miss Relena will be able to make a full recovery in a matter of a week. She's a very strong young woman, Mr Yui. She will fight this, I know that." She nodded to those present. "You may see her now if you would like; I can't tell you that she doesn't hear what you say. Your encouragement may be what she needs to get through this. If you'll follow me…"

Dr Nathan began to walk away and Zechs and Noin quickly followed. But Quatre and Heero hesitated.

"Are you coming?" Quatre's sister asked, turning back.

The young men looked at each other. "We aren't really family…" Quatre began.

"It's okay," Noin told them. "You are just as much family as we are."

That was enough for Quatre but Heero still hesitated. "Heero?" his friend asked.

Zechs walked back to the young man and Quatre instantly prepared himself for the worst. He had been waiting, over the past few hours, for both men's tempers to flare as their patience cracked under the strain.

But Zechs didn't punch Heero. He didn't even touch him. Instead, he narrowed his ice-blue gaze on the other man and said, in a voice so low and soft that Quatre could barely hear, "Heero Yui, I don't like you and you don't like me. You have tried to save my sister as many times as you have tried to kill her and your mere absence from her life causes her pain, though I cannot fathom why. However, you have an effect on her… she loves you more than you could ever deserve. So, as much as I hate to admit it, you may be the only one who can talk her back to the land of the living and if you don't even try, so help me God, I will kill you with my bare hands and not even my sister will be able to protect you. Do we understand each other?"

Heero didn't flinch. "Perfectly."

"Good. Let's go then."

Dr. Nathan chanced a quick word to her brother. "Are they always like this?"

Quatre sighed. "Worse."

* * *

The hotel took Sally's breath away.

After a lifetime in Chinese villages hidden at the top of mountains or in tiny guerrilla camps in the jungle or remote military bases, Sally had become used to discomfort. She had no problems with it; it was like cold to Russians, or sand to Arabians - you got used to it because it was a part of your existence. But as her clear blue eyes took in the crystal chandeliers, the rich carpeting, the marble tables and leather armchairs for the briefest moment she allowed herself to wish that this was real for her.

If Wufei noticed, he didn't seem to care. Composed as always, he led her to the lobby counter after allowing a porter to take their bags.

"Reservation for Mr and Mrs Li."

The receptionist smiled and typed in the names. "Li, you said? We've given you one of our nicest suites, room 416. Have a pleasant stay."

If the lobby took Sally's breath away then the suite put her in danger of requiring CPR.

"Oh Wufei," she found herself saying after the porter left with a large tip. "This is so amazing, isn't it? You can see all of the city from here."

"Don't get carried away," Wufei admonished. "It is costing a large amount of the much-needed Preventers' money to keep us here. We should make the most of it. Sincarno will be staying here after his return from the colonies. We can't afford to fail in our mission. We must make contact and to do so, we have to have something that appeals to him. Or at least, appear to have it."

"Money."

"Among other things. Legacy will need all the skilled pilots it can get," Wufei said, coming to stand beside her at the window. "I need to appear an asset to their cause."

"I can't believe this is happening again," Sally said. "After all our work. And poor Relena…I wonder where she is." They had received news of the ex-princess just before their flight left.

"Wherever she is, I have the strangest feeling Heero is with her."

Sally's curiosity was perked. "And why do you say that?"

Wufei looked out to the city. "Just a suspicion. It's a waste of his skills, though. There are many others who could protect Relena. We need his assistance now as a pilot."

"He's dedicated to her, Wufei," said Sally softly. "He may not show it, but I think everyone else can see it. Relena is lucky to have someone like that."

"Hn, a waste of time," muttered Wufei and at his words Sally anger course through her. Would Wufei ever learn what it was like to care for anyone other than himself?

"Come on," she said, suddenly feeling cranky. "Let's go over the mission notes."

* * *

"We'll leave you two alone now, Heero," Noin said, following her fiancée and Quatre out the door. Zechs shot one final death glare at the young man before the door shut and Heero was alone with Relena.

There were so many things he wanted to say, so many things he wanted to do, would have done differently if he'd had the chance. He never would have left her after the Mariemaia incident. He would never have convinced himself that he could have survived without her.

Just the sight of her lying there was enough to make him believe that perhaps she hadn't been able to survive without him either. And if that were true, then Heero had worth besides that of a soldier…it terrified him and thrilled him all at once.

"Relena," he whispered and waited for her breathy reply, "Heero." It never came. She remained silent.

"I'm sorry," he gasped out, stepping towards the bed. "I'll say it again when you wake up, but I want you to hear it now. I never meant for any of this to happen, I swear."

There was no response. Heero gently took her hand in his, mindful of the IV they had set up. "Relena?"

She was silent and unmoving, like a doll. Her skin was cool, but soft. She knew nothing of the pain she caused…she was probably dreaming gentle, peaceful dreams. Suddenly Heero felt something replace his sorrow. He felt anger. Anger at her for being the one to try and leave, for taking the easier way out.

"Do you hear me, Relena?" he asked, his voice suddenly cold. "If you don't wake up this minute, I won't ever speak to you again."

Nothing. He gripped her hand tighter and knelt down beside her bed.

"I swear it. I hate you Relena, for doing this. If you don't wake up now, I'll hate you forever." Her blue eyes remained closed and Heero's emotions boiled. "I swear it! I hate you, Relena, I hate you! Do you hear me?" He closed his eyes, but the tears still spilled down his cheeks. "I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!"

Heero's forehead dropped to Relena's hand and what was once his mantra of anger was now one of prayer. As if the more he said it, the better the chance she would wake up and forgive him. "I hate you," it was a whisper now, choked out through the tears.

"I hate you."

* * *

Pain.

And lots of it.

It started in his lower cortex and worked it's way to behind his eyes, where it seemed to be setting off sparks.

Instinct forced Trowa to open his eyes; if he'd been knocked out in battle, the best thing for him to do would be to open his eyes and find out who his enemy was, if he was still nearby.

Then Trowa discovered that he was his own worst enemy. It was morning, though only just. The sun was streaming through the open blinds of his motel room on the colony and the beginnings of what would be a hangover to end all hangovers was pounding through his head.

As Trowa finished making a sacrifice to the porcelain god, he sat on the bathroom floor and wondered when he'd become such an idiot. It could have started yesterday, when he hooked up with Duo. Or before then, when he'd even considered hooking up with the braided baka, as Heero nicknamed him.

Memories of Cathy came to him unbidden and he realised he'd been an idiot for a long time now and it couldn't be blamed on Duo. What was he thinking? He'd promised to protect her and he'd done nothing of the sort. He'd protected her from enemies who wanted power over the colonies or earth but of course she wouldn't care about that if she was starving on the streets and he didn't blame her.

But there was time to make up for that; he wouldn't let her go again so easily. Once she left Sincarno…just the name brought a distasteful feeling into Trowa's mouth that had nothing to do with the hangover. Even now that he was sober, he still felt like punching the other man's lights out. But how much of that was misdirected guilt?

Trowa tried not to follow that path of thought. He was quite comfortable hating Sincarno and there was nothing to gain by changing that. Would he still hate the man if he weren't sleeping with Cathy? Probably. After all, at this moment in time he was the Preventer's enemy. He was threatening the peace and doing a terrifyingly good job of it. Already, areas of the colonies had fallen into chaos as Legacy forces invaded the area, ransacked the resources then set up a base for their Mobile Suits. And all of it was semi-legal, the land bought with money sued out of ESUN and the World High Council. It was disgusting to think that with bits of paper and fancy words, Sincarno had gotten the money and power, he needed for a battle from his enemies. It went against all Trowa's principles as a soldier.

But there were things he cared more about at the moment.

He was going to get cleaned up, then he was going to buy a bunch of flowers to leave at the Two Legs for Cathy then he was going to grab some breakfast…

First of all he was going to answer the answering machine, which had been beeping it's little red light at him for a few minutes now, only he was too lost in his thoughts to notice.

"Preventer Ice," it was the voice of Lady Une and Trowa got the horrible feeling that his holidays were about to be cut short. Une wasn't the kind of person to ring up to make sure he got there alright. "I am sorry to interrupt your well-deserved holiday. I highly recommend you see the news if you haven't already. If you have, I know you will understand when I ask you return to active duty straight away. I won't rush you, but try to make it back before tonight. That is all."

Curious, Trowa turned on the box-sized TV in his room, finding a news channel straight away.

"…Darlain has gone missing. Officials, including the Preventers, are looking into her disappearance and have not ruled out a terrorist attempt to halt the Legacy case proceedings…"

Trowa listened impassively to the rest of the report. It wasn't looking good for the Preventers at all. And there had to be more to the issue than what the public knew if Une was personally calling him in. Unfortunately, that probably meant that the something more was seriously bad.

Standing, Trowa turned off the TV and picked up the phone.

"Hello? I need to make a reservation for the next flight to earth. Name? Trowa Barton."

* * *

"Sir, we have him."

Sincarno paused mid-bite. He successfully hid his dislike at being interrupted during breakfast as he faced the vid-phone.

"Yes? Who?"

Johnson was practically beaming. "The man you know as Trowa, the one you asked me to look up. I checked in the Preventer employee manifests but nothing came up. Then I noticed recently a T. Barton was registered for holidays at this time and it gave a contact number in a colony. The colony you're in actually, sir."

"Good work," acknowledged Sincarno, not reprimanding Johnson for using the term 'sir.' Sincarno was inherently a lawyer, Johnson a soldier. Perhaps there were differences that could never be resolved.

"There's more. I had the phones in the motel he was staying in bugged. There was nothing for a while until this morning when he received a message from Colonel Une herself, requesting he return to duty ASAP."

Sincarno frowned, "Une herself?"

"That's right sir. He must be a very important soldier to warrant personal treatment above all others of his rank."

"Or she knows him from an earlier time," Sincarno thought, mentally recounting the past few years' wars. "Johnson, I want to know this man's past; I want to know who he was before joining the Preventers- he can't have just appeared out of nowhere. Especially if he deserves such personal attention."

"Yes sir, I'll get on that straightaway."

The image went black and Sincarno rested back in his seat, blue eyes gleaming. Yes, his instincts wouldn't lead him astray. They hadn't done so in the courtroom, and trials and lawsuits were only a step down from all out battle, when one looked at it carefully.

"Mr Sincarno?" a soft voice behind him. Catherine. He'd never disallowed her from using his first name, but she seemed to feel more comfortable when he was 'Mr Sincarno.'

"Catherine. Good morning. I thought you would like to sleep in, so I didn't wake you for breakfast," he told her as she joined him at the table. "I hope you don't mind."

"No, of course not. You've been so kind to me already…" her voice went soft.

"But?"

"I'm sorry?"

"There's always a 'but' when someone makes a statement like that," Sincarno told her, leaning across the table to hold her chin, making her eyes meet his. "I've grown fond of you, Catherine, all things considered. You should feel the freedom to share your thoughts with me."

She sighed. "I am grateful for everything you've done, Mr Sincarno. You weren't what I was expecting when I went into this business. But it's time for me to move on. I am requesting my leave."

"I'm not your warden, Catherine," Sincarno said. "You could leave whenever you felt like it."

"I didn't need to before…."

"Before what?"

Cathy hesitated. "There's someone else. He's returned to me and asked me to be with him. I didn't refuse but…"

"You came back to make sure I wouldn't be mad?"

"It's not that," Cathy said sincerely. "At the least you deserved this; a farewell."

"I see." Sincarno rested back in his seat, thinking. Catherine felt even more nervous as time passed. She hadn't thought it would be this hard. Perhaps she felt bad that she didn't feel guilty enough - that when all was said and done, she could not feel anything more for Sincarno than gratitude. "When did you plan on leaving? I assume you'll be leaving this colony as well."

"Yes, I will. One week from yesterday was the plan."

"I will miss you…"

"I'm sorry."

"You didn't let me finish. I will miss you but I'll be glad that you've found a life better than this one." He raised his glass in a half-toast to her. "My loss is his gain, eh?"

Cathy sighed again, but couldn't hide a small smile. "Thank you Mr Sincarno."

"Promise me one thing, though."

"What is that?"

"Don't leave the colony before next week. I want to give you a surprise."

"You've done enough already." Cathy waved a hand.

Sincarno shook his head, "Please, this one more thing for you. Just make sure you're still here over the next few days."

Cathy nodded almost without thinking. She had her freedom now anyway. If he wanted to give her something more, she was in no position to refuse. She saw nothing sinister behind his offer.

"As you wish, Mr Sincarno."

* * *

The visitor's lounge was in tatters.

A couch upended one way, the coffee table the other.

Magazines were in pieces, spread across the floor like confetti. It seemed only the coffee machine and a TV had gone unharmed.

"Heero?"

Quatre looked about him in disbelief, before his eyes focused on the young man, standing in the corner of the room, his chest heaving, his face to the wall and fists clenched beside him. When Quatre had been sent to find Heero, he'd certainly not expected this. Was that a boot mark against one wall?

"Heero what happened here? Were you attacked?"

"No, it was my fault. I'll fix it later," the other man told him as he remained facing the wall.

"Never mind that," Quatre's eyes took in the scene around him. Oh, Iria was not going to be happy…yet the destruction was heartbreaking in more than just that. It was the only evidence Quatre had seen that Heero wasn't completely frozen from the inside out.

"Heero…" Quatre searched for the right words and couldn't find any. _Dammit._ He'd never had this problem before. Maybe this time Heero's pain ran too deep for even him to reach.

"Go away," muttered Heero. "I won't say it again."

"Heero, what I came here to say was…"

"I said go!"

"By Allah, Heero, you're stubborn! You try even my patience!" cried Quatre. "What I came here to tell you - if you'd only let me speak - is that she's awake."

"What?" Heero spun around, probably to confirm that his ears weren't playing tricks on him.

"You heard me. Relena's awake."

* * *

"How do you feel?"

"If I tell you I feel like shit, will you promise not to tell anyone I swore?" the ex-princess whispered. Her blood pressure was still low, Dr. Nathan acknowledged, but other than that, Relena seemed surprisingly fine and in good spirits.

"Do you remember what happened?" the Doctor asked, trying to get as much as she could out of the patient before the Zechs-Noin-Quatre-Heero rush that was about to hit the tiny room like a tsunami.

Relena blinked against the harsh daylight from outside and shook her head. _No, let's not do that again,_ she thought as the wave of nausea hit, followed quickly by a piercing headache.

"I don't," she whispered back, her voice croaky until Dr Nathan gave her a glass of water. "I know I'm in a hospital, but I don't recognize it. What did you say your name was?"

"Dr Nathan, nee Winner."

"Winner? Is Quatre here?" Relena's voice perked up. It would be good to see her old friend again, especially at a time like this.

"Yes, he's gone to fetch Heero, Zechs and Noin. They'll be here in a moment."

"Heero," Relena's wide eyes expressed her disbelief. "What is he doing here?"

"I'm not sure, actually, though I get the impression he was with you when…you were injured." Dr Nathan held back the news of what had happened for the time being. Relena seemed chirpy and reminding her of how she got in the hospital in the first place was going to change that, and that was the last thing a recovering patient needed; depression.

"Oh," answered the young woman. "I wish I could remember - he never comes to visit me."

"Well, he will soon," said the Doctor. "And I may be overstepping a line here, but I think he was affected deeply by the shooting."

"I was shot?"

_Crap,_ Iria cursed herself. _Oh well, she had to know that much eventually - patient's rights and all that. _"Yes, though I'm not clear on the details." There was a knock at the door. "I'm sure that's your family now, I'll let them in."

Relena smiled. "Thank you doctor. May I ask one thing though?"

"Go ahead."

"Did you operate on me? When I was shot?"

"I did."

"Then thank you again. For saving my life."

Dr Nathan blushed. _Yes, this is a woman who could have won the hearts of the entire world._ "Don't mention it. I'd better let the others in before they become a lynch mob."

"Not with Quatre there."

"You'd be surprised. Little brother has more fight in him than people give him credit for."

Iria opened the door and quickly stepped outside.

"Is she in there?" It was Zech's who asked this and was unable to hide the excitement in his eyes.

"Yes and you can see her soon," she warned them. "But there's something I have to mention first. Relena doesn't remember a thing of what happened up to her shooting. The memories will return eventually but until then, I don't want her to know the truth. I'm advising this only as her doctor and as her family, you can override my decision. However, I recommend that, for the sake of her recovery, you tell her it was an assassination attempt."

"She won't be happy about that," Quatre warned. "Once she finds out she'll think we were treating her like a weakling."

"She would forgive us if we explained," said Noin hopefully. "And I think Dr. Nathan is right; if Relena isn't in the same state of mind she was in last night, then there's no need to unnecessarily upset her further."

"I agree," added Zechs and that seemed to silence the matter.

* * *

So how am I going? Please leave a review. 


	5. Chapter 4: Wounds of the Innocent

First of all, this chapter is dedicated to the following lovely people who reviewed so far:

Carrie

Cookie

Mahan Mayhem

Mama-sama

Animouse03

SilverMoonWing

Billysgotagun

Inda

YuiAyuNamieUtada

**WARNING**: Lemon ahead. And Quatre in a towel. For some of you, this will only encourage you to read faster. You know who you are :)

**Chapter 4: Wounds of the Innocent**

_I can't seem to find myself again, these walls are closing in,_

_I've felt this way before, so insecure._

_Crawling in my skin, these wounds they will not heal_

_Fear is how I fall, confusing what is real…_

_Linkin Park, 'Crawling'_

"Little sister," Milliardo was the first to approach, pulling Relena into a gentle hug, telling her his gratitude without words and generally being overprotective. "Are you sure you're okay? We could leave if you'd like."

"I'm fine," she replied, smiling. "Honestly, Noin, how do you put up with a such a fussing fiancée?"

The other woman smiled back. "He's not always this bad. You gave us all quite a scare."

"What happened?"

"Assassination attempt, from Legacy," answered Milliardo straight away.

Relena frowned. "What does the WHC think?"

"They aren't aware of your whereabouts just yet. No on is, besides us and Lady Une - we needed the Preventer's help to protect your location."

"But the hearing…"

"It's not safe," said her brother firmly. "Legacy is a real threat."

"Then we should leave this place. I don't want to put anyone in danger."

"No," it was Quatre this time. "You're safe here and Heero and I won't let anything happen to you." He turned to face Heero. "In fact, if it weren't for Heero, your injuries could have been much worse."

"You mean I could have died," Relena said. "Heero."

Heero found himself looking straight into her eyes, trying to deny that it was love he saw there.

"It's good to see you again, Heero. I knew you were the reason I'm still here. 'Thank you' doesn't seem to cover it."

Heero's expression hardened. "I don't deserve your thanks." Curse Dr Nathan and her advice. He needed Relena's forgiveness, not her gratitude.

"So modest, Heero. You saved my life. I owe you so much." She was still smiling but each word was, to Heero, like a knife through his conscience, they rubbed salt into his wounds.

"You owe me nothing, Relena," he stepped back. He couldn't take much more of this without screaming out the truth. He had to leave. Now.

"Heero?" Quatre asked, bewildered.

Heero's hand was already on the door behind him, to the surprise of everyone else in the room. He was stepping outside…

"Nothing at all."

…he was gone.

* * *

"Spanner." 

Hilde absentmindedly handed Duo the tool. Her mind wasn't on the task at hand. Sitting there, on Duo's mobile suit, how could it be? After all, he was off to fight again - she was sure of that - already she had that nauseating feeling in her stomach that warned her something bad was about to happen.

Angrily, she ran her short nails across the black metal of his MS. It wasn't gundanium or plain steel, but a hybrid of both. Duo had only been working on it as a hobby, melding spare pieces from his old gundam with the remnants of mobile dolls he'd scavenged, keeping it in the bunker concealed beneath their house. Already it was impressive - a mere shadow of his old gundam, yes - but impressive nonetheless.

"Don't worry," Duo called out from inside the torso's access vent, "A few more tweaks and this baby will be done."

_That's what I'm worried about._ Hilde thought.

"Do you want me to do any work on your's, Hilde? While I'm at it?"

"No, it's ok. My MS may be getting older but I've kept it in good condition. I hope we won't have to use them."

"I hope so too, babe," Duo's brown head popped out of the vent, his face smeared randomly with grease. "I just want to be prepared. I received a message from Une before; more mobile suits are gathering in the colonies. She wants everyone who could pilot a MS to be ready, just in case."

Hilde tried to smile as she wiped a spattering of grease from Duo's nose. "I know that. I'm allowed to worry, aren't I?"

"Hey! We'll be fine; we're good pilots. You and me forever. Remember?"

"Forever isn't very long if you die," Hilde told him and was startled by the bitterness in her voice. Duo noticed it too.

"Hey," he took her hand, the one that was wiping his nose. "Hilde…"

She didn't meet his gaze. Lord knew she wanted to. She wanted to be able to look into those big violet eyes and, like a little girl, let him convince her that everything was going to be okay. But there had been too many wars, too many battles for that to work any more. The more they fought, the more chance there was their number was going to come up.

"Hilde," he took her face in his hand, leaving the slightest hint of grease on her chin. "I promise I'll come back to you. I won't leave you and I won't let anything hurt you, babe."

Suddenly all the mad desires of last night came rushing back to Hilde. She forced them down quickly and pulled herself away from Duo. Oh, Dear God, it was harder than she thought; any moment now she was going to jump on him and in a flurry of hands and clothes and amidst kisses and moans and sighs they would make love like there was no tomorrow. He would be inside of her, calling out her name and they would want to be like that forever…

_Forever._

"You can't make a promise like that, Duo." She turned from him, blinking away tears.

"Hilde?"

He reached out a hand to grasp hers, to stop her running, as she was so desperate to do. "Duo, let me go."

"Not until you tell me what's wrong," he replied, lifting himself out of the vent effortlessly.

She shook her head. "I can't. It would change everything. I can't risk it…"

Duo felt a stinging in his eyes, just watching her. It hurt to see her like this. It hurt even more to know that, somehow, this was his fault. Knowing that he didn't have the words needed to heal her pain, he went for action.

Pulling her into his arms, he whispered. "Shh, Hilde. It's okay, just let it out."

"Can't…" her voice was muffled against his chest. She raised her face to his, blue eyes sparkling with unshed tears.

_Kiss her, you fool._ His thoughts were loud and determined. _Kiss her!_

So he did.

It began so gently, the briefest touch of their lips, so different from the other night. Each movement of his lips against hers, so sweet and soft, was a caress. As the first few tears ran down her cheeks, the kisses became more determined, more passionate. His hands moved along her back, soothing, pulling her closer than close.

"Duo," she gasped out as they pulled away for breath. "Please don't."

"Don't?" He couldn't believe she would say such a thing after that kiss. Couldn't believe she could even form words after that kiss. That kiss was so earth-shattering it probably registered on the Richter scale.

"I have to go."

"No! Hilde!"

She stood up. "I'm sorry Duo."

With shaky legs she clamored down the Mobile Suit, leaving Duo to wonder what on earth had just happened. Then it hit him, with all the force of a beam cannon in the chest. Duo nearly found himself flat on his back with the weight of it, the amazing revelation that…more than anyone in the world…he loved her.

He loved Hilde.

* * *

As the sun set over the distant sand dunes, the last remnants of light struck an unremarkable apartment building on the outskirts of Cairo. It had once been a white building with gleaming verandas overseeing the Nile. But years of desert sand and stinging winds had worn it to a dull gray-yellow. To top it off, it had an air-conditioning system that was hopelessly inadequate in the climate and often stopped working just when the temperatures were at their highest. Dr. Nathan only stayed there because it was close to the hospital and she never spent much time at home anyway. 

Quatre, frankly, didn't care.

He was beyond caring. So much had happened in the past few days, so much pain and misery and still more on the horizon. And he was sick of caring. It had been a hard day and as Relena drifted off into a quiet sleep, he realised that he hadn't eaten, slept or showered for nearly 24 hours.

Then there had been the whole 'Heero thing'. After the quick visit to Relena's bedside, the other pilot had disappeared. Quatre had found him outside, trying to hitch a ride back into town by the looks of it. It had taken all of Quatre's negotiating abilities to convince the other man to stay in Cairo at least until Relena made a full recovery. The issue resolved for the moment, Quatre had accepted his sister's offer of a place to spend the night. She would be staying at the hospital anyway.

_Yes,_ he thought as he stood beneath the cold water trickling out of the shower head, _let the rest of the world take care of itself for a little while. At least until I finish shampooing._

Ding

The doorbell. Quatre ignored it. It couldn't be his sister: she had keys.

Ding Ding

_No,_ Quatre thought. _No, no, no, no, no. I will not answer the door. I will not. Forget it._

Ding

That was it. Quatre quickly rinsed the remains of soap from his body and grabbed a towel. He was going to answer the door now, if only to try out a Heero-style death glare on whatever sadistic person dared to interrupt his shower.

"Alright, I'm coming," he called. "You know, I was in the shower…" He yanked open the door with more force than was necessary.

"I'm so sorry. I'll come back later."

Quatre blinked once. Twice. No, she was still there. In all her radiant blonde glory, looking mostly untouched by the harsh desert winds raging that afternoon. Damn her, she was still a goddess. All the months apart from her hadn't changed a thing.

"Miss Dorothy…"

"I didn't mean to interrupt anything," she said apologetically, her voice soft and cultured.

_By Allah, _Quatre thought, a blush coming to his cheeks as he noticed the way the sundress she wore caressed her curves or the way her blonde hair was still spectacular, even pulled back in a ponytail. She really was amazing, and intimidating and…

And she was leaving.

"Wait!" Quatre called, pulling himself back into the present.

Dorothy turned around. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry too. I didn't mean to be rude. It's been a long day."

"I can understand that; it's why I'm here." She paused. "Do you mind if I come in?"

"Not at all," he stood aside to let her in. Her golden hair brushed against his bare skin and he had to turn his head to hide what he was sure would be a winning contender for 'blush of the year'. "Do you want anything to drink?"

"It's a bit warm for tea," she said, taking a seat on the couch. "Perhaps water."

Quatre poured them each a glass before coming to sit beside her. Not too close though; whatever had existed between them in the past, whatever unusual turn of events had led them to date each other, was over now. Or was it?

"I suppose I can guess why you're here," he began. "Miss Relena, isn't it?"

"How did you know?"

"You always did have a strange fascination with her," he took a sip from his glass. "Although it worries me that you managed to track her here so easily. Our enemies…"

"Our enemies don't know you Gundam Pilots, or Miss Relena, the way I do."

"I thought I knew her too," Quatre told her sadly. "But after yesterday…"

Dorothy frowned, her fine features creasing ever so slightly. "What happened? I know she was shot. I can guess that Legacy is involved. The rest is a bit vague."

For a half-second Quatre hesitated. He wasn't sure how much he could tell her. Then again, if she'd been able to find him so easily she would also be able to find out what happened. With or without him.

"Miss Relena was shot, yes. But it was self-inflicted. Heero tried to stop her, but she took his gun instead."

"Oh, no!" A hand flew to her mouth. "Miss Relena…I knew things were bad, but not this bad."

"After the shooting, Legacy tried to kidnap her, but you know Heero," continued Quatre. "That's why she's here. It's safer. My sister, Dr. Iria Nathan, operated on her early this morning and a few hours ago she recovered consciousness. She remembers nothing, though, and you aren't to tell her."

Dorothy nodded. "I understand. In fact, I wasn't even sure if it was the right thing for me to do to visit her, especially if Legacy is also on her trail. I could have led them straight to her. That's why I waited, came here first."

"I see." Quatre heard the disappointment in his voice. Had he been hoping that she was there to see him? Maybe.

"There's something else, Quatre," she told him and he noted that suddenly her confidence seemed to have abandoned her. If anything, she seemed nervous, placing her glass on the table with great care.

"Is something wrong?"

"Yes and no. I'm not sure how to say this…" She was clasping her hands together now.

"You know you can tell me anything, right?" Quatre said.

"Good. Because this is what I have to say."

Without any preamble she kissed him. And it wasn't even a soft one. She practically threw herself on him, clasping his face in her hands, kissing him like there was no tomorrow.

There was a second while Quatre recovered from the shock before he was kissing her back, battling her tongue with his, cupping her derriere with both hands and melding her body to his own. Allah, he'd missed this; how had he thought he could get by without it?

"Oh, Quatre," she gasped as he moved his lips from hers to her neck. Frantic hands pulled at his towel. Then it was gone and Dorothy feasted on the sight of the man beneath her - his toned body, his pale smooth skin that was just begging to be tasted.

All self-control gone, Quatre heard himself moaning as he reached under her skirt, forcing it up so that he could pull at her underwear. But with Dorothy straddling him there was no way to pull the tiny scrap of fabric off anyway. Finally, with a harshness he didn't think he possessed, Quatre ripped it away completely and Dorothy gave a small cry of delight and terrified excitement.

_Too fast, _he thought_. This is happening too fast._

But his body was too far-gone to listen to his mind. Suddenly, he sat up and pushed Dorothy down so that she was now beneath him. Her eyes were wild, excited, as if they were in battle. But this would be a battle with no losers.

That was the last conscious thought Quatre had before he was inside her. He thrust forward hard, forcefully, and winced slightly as he heard Dorothy gasp out in what could have been pain. But then she was wrapping her long legs around him, pulling him forward and her arms were around his shoulders, perfectly manicured nails leaving little red marks across his back. And there was something primal and thrilling about the way he was giving her both pleasure and pain. Quatre couldn't have held back if he tried.

He thrust again and again, the sound of her cries intoxicating him and the sight of her arching up to meet him driving out logical thought. He was immersed in her, gloved by her and somehow the rest of the world faded away to nothing. A cry ripped from his throat as he made one final thrust, deeper than the others - if that were even possible. Quatre felt release take over as Dorothy gave one last shudder beneath him, crying out her own ecstasy.

It was in the afterglow, as he lay half on top of her, still buried inside her, that the enormity of what had just happened hit him.

"Oh Allah," he whispered to himself, pushing up on his elbows. "Dorothy, forgive me. What have I done?"

He was tortured by the realization that this wasn't the first time he'd lost control and that he'd broken his oath never to let it happen again. First, when his father died and then again in Wing Zero. It was the curse of being an emphatic; emotions tended to linger too close to the surface and when they became too strong it took a superhuman amount of control to keep them buried. Quatre didn't always have that.

But when Dorothy opened her eyes she smiled at him, "Shh, Quatre. You've done nothing wrong." She raised a hand to stroke his cheek. "I wanted this. I was the one who started this." A chuckle. "I hadn't expected the results to be quite so…potent…though. I must have underestimated how much we missed each other, eh?"

"How can you be so light about this? I hurt you," he said. He placed a soft kiss on her lips. "I didn't mean to be so rough."

"I liked it." A responding kiss accompanied her confession. "You?"

"Mmm," he agreed against her lips. "I just don't understand why."

"Why what?"

"Why you started that. And don't pretend it was my idea."

"I wasn't going to," she smiled again. "The reason is simple. Quatre Raberba Winner, I want you to marry me."

The blonde Arabian was off the couch faster than you can say 'Maguanac', hastily grabbing the towel to cover himself. "Wha…what did you just say?"

Dorothy sat up calmly. "I said 'marry me'. An unconventional proposal, I'll admit. Still, it's the thought that counts."

"Wait a minute." Quatre said quickly. "You can't do that! You can't just seduce people then ask them to marry you!"

"Hey! Seduce?" Dorothy countered. "Yes, I came on to you, but you make it sound as if you had no choice in the matter. You know full well you did."

Quatre ran a hand through his blonde locks agitatedly. He was doing that a lot lately. "So I did. I won't deny it; I'm deeply attracted to you Dorothy. But you can't just…I mean…how long have you thought about this?"

"Seven months, one week, two days," she deadpanned. A glance at the clock, "and 14 hours, if you don't take into account different time zones."

Quatre's eyes widened in shock. "You know exactly how long we've been broken up for?"

"Yes, I do. Because I've regretted it since the moment it happened. I still don't understand how or why it did. We were good together," she said sincerely. "As much as it scares me sometimes, you are important to me, Quatre."

"I wasn't as important as your job."

"Same goes for me," Dorothy's shoulders straightened. "Admit it, we were both obsessed with our jobs at the time. It was bad timing."

"But marriage? Dorothy, do you even know what you're asking here?" He began pacing.

"I do. I'm asking permission to be with you for the rest of my life, however long that may be. Is that so much to ask?" Quatre froze mid-pace to stare at her. He hadn't really expected her to have an answer for that, nor had he expected her answer to be so honest.

"I'm tired of being alone, Quatre," she continued wearily. And it showed in her eyes. She never could hide anything behind those eyes; not from him, anyway. "I know you are too. Why can't we be alone together, then?"

"Doesn't love come into it?"

"You know how I feel." She flicked a lock of hair off her shoulders with one hand. It was such a casual motion to go with her casual statement. But she was right; Quatre _did_ know - his gift to know the hearts of others meant he would always know. But Dorothy didn't have any such gifts and though she would never admit it, she needed his love. She'd had so little true love in her life anyway, like the other pilots, she probably wouldn't have known what it was had he not showed her.

"Do you still feel the same way, Quatre?"

And there it was, Quatre's moment of truth. If he lied and said no, she would be out that door and he would have lost her again. And this time, forever. If he said yes, would that mean wedding bells, children and all the rest? And why weren't those thoughts as scary as he thought they would be? Anyway, he couldn't lie. It just wasn't in him.

"I do."

Her face lit up and sitting there, with her blonde hair falling around her and her face bright she was appeared an angel. No one would believe him, but he saw the kindness in Dorothy's heart that she hid from the world, even from herself.

"Dorothy, if you know how I feel, you'll know what you mean to me," he told her, "but I'm not ready to say yes to marriage just yet. Not so soon, and not at a time like this."

She tilted a head to one side, considering what he was saying. Finally, she agreed, "I understand. I don't need an answer straight away; I'll be here for a while anyway. To see Miss Relena."

"Won't ESUN want to know where you are?"

"Why would they care about an ex-employee?"

"You quit?" Quatre couldn't hide his surprise.

"One of our jobs would always get in the way." She met his gaze unfalteringly. "Besides, you didn't expect me to come to you with a proposal and not be ready to make a sacrifice."

"But your job…?"

She cut him off quickly. "It never meant that much to me anyway; I think I just tried to convince myself it did." Dorothy shook her head. "I was so foolish."

Quatre came to sit beside her. "Thank you. I know your job is very important to you."

"I don't suppose the Winner Corporation is in need of a good lawyer?" she asked hopefully, fixing him with one of those bone-melting sideways glances; the kind that had him feeling embarrassed in public places when she combined it with some suggestive whispers. Life with Dorothy may have been wilder than he was used to, but it sure as hell was never dull.

"Depends." The sideways glance of hers seemed to be having its desired effect and already he was hard again. "Are you willing to put in overtime?"

"For you, Mr Winner?" Teasingly, she ran a hand down his arm. "Anything."

As the moon rose to cast its light over the two lovers, Dorothy Catalonia wasn't to realize how prophetic those few words were to become.

* * *

"He's at the bar. His flight arrived a few hours ago." 

"Alone?"

"Yes."

"All the better for us." Sally said.

Beside her Wufei nodded his agreement.

To an observer the couple making their way towards the hotel bar could have been talking about the weather. He, in a casual navy dinner jacket and pants, looked every bit the confident businessman while she, in a simple little black dress, seemed to have captivated his attention.

Wufei certainly wasn't finding it hard to act that out anyway. It amazed him just how incredible Sally looked in the black dress, which she probably purchased because of it's simplicity but made more incredible than any ball gown by filling it in all the right places. He quickly buried that train of thought before she picked up on his sudden change in body heat.

It was ironic that Sally's mind wasn't completely focused on their mission either. When Wufei had left the bedroom dressed as he was all coherent thought left her; how was it possible for him to look so good so easily?

_Get a grip, girl, _she whispered to herself harshly. _It's just a damned dinner jacket. _

Together they took a seat at a small table a decent distance from the bar. Casually, Sally watched Leonard Sincarno's reflection in the mirrored walls. He certainly seemed on his own, enjoying a quiet scotch at the bar. Perfect.

"I'll get the drinks," she told Wufei, standing up. Before he could reply, she was at the bar, standing beside Sincarno himself.

"Two martinis," she told the bartender before pausing to wait.

Leonard had noticed the tall, leggy blonde beside him straightaway. No red-blooded male wouldn't have. But when she spoke, a husky, soft tone, he really sat up and took notice. Then, to his delight, she spoke to him.

"Hello," she said, in that same husky voice. "My name is Sally Li."

Leonard smiled. This must be his lucky day. "Pleasure," he extended his hand and she took it. "My name is Leonard Sincarno."

"I know who you are Mr Sincarno," she said pleasantly enough.

"Really?"

"Oh, yes. We've had an interest in you for a while." The martinis arrived and she gave her room number for the bill, but made no motion to leave the bar.

"We?" Sincarno couldn't help it; this woman was raising his curiosity, among other things.

"My husband and I." Sally nodded a head towards a young Chinese man sitting by himself at one of the tables. _Damn it,_ Sincarno thought to himself. _Taken. Then again, that doesn't always count for much these days. Especially not if she smiles like that at everyone._

Sincarno wasn't just imagining things; Sally was flashing him one of her most seductive - she hoped - smiles. It seemed to be working. He couldn't take his eyes off her.

"I notice you're alone, Mr. Sincarno. Would you care to join us?"

"Of course."

She led him to the table and Sincarno took a seat beside her and her husband. Up close, the other man was even more intimidating: a stern expression and dark black eyes which seemed to bore into him. Sincarno reminded himself to tread carefully - this did not look like the kind of guy he wanted to piss off.

"Mr Li."

"Mr Sincarno." The other man's grip was unusually firm. Had he also noticed the gleam in his wife's eyes?

"Your wife tells me you have an interest in me," Sincarno said. "I have to admit; now I'm curious. Are you members of Legacy?"

Sally shook her head. "No, we were considering it, but business has been so busy lately. This is the first holiday we've been able to take in a while."

"May I ask what business you're in?"

"Investments," Li answered. "I used to be a soldier but after the war I decided to settle down; manage the money my family had left me." This was half-true, Sally knew. The dragon clan had indeed left Wufei a considerable amount of money. How much, she wasn't exactly sure and hadn't asked.

"Ah, I see," commented Sincarno. "You lost your family in the wars?"

"Yes, that's why your organization attracted my interest," said Wufei. "I was hoping to make a donation to Legacy, in memory of my family."

There was a brief second when Sincarno froze, the scotch glass suspended in mid-air. "A donation?"

"A rather large one, yes. But I wasn't sure how much. I was hoping to discuss that with you, actually."

Sally cast a quick glance at Wufei. If Sincarno's expression was anything to go by, he'd already taken the bait and they hadn't even mentioned an amount yet.

"And you said you were a soldier once, Mr Li," continued Sincarno.

"He was," answered Sally. "And a very good one, too. One of the best pilots in the Earth Sphere."

"Now dear, don't boast…"

"Well, it's the truth."

"That was a long time ago," added Wufei.

Sincarno smiled at them both. "We are always in need of qualified people in our technical departments, Mr Li. Perhaps you could consider it."

Wufei tried to hide a grimace. 'Technical departments' was just another way of saying Mobile Suit piloting. Of course, with the laws being what they were, Sincarno couldn't just come out and say it. Still, all parties involved knew what that meant.

"I'll think about it," answered Wufei.

Sincarno smiled like the cat who swallowed the canary. This was turning out to be a very good day, indeed. Then he remembered something.

"You know, if you're interested in our organization, we have a general meeting for organization heads in five days time, followed by a dinner and ball. In celebration of our progress, you see." He took a white envelope from his breast pocket. "It would please me greatly if you could both attend. That is, if you're still in town at the time."

Wufei took the envelope.

"In fact," continued Sincarno. "I could even arrange for you to meet with Commander Johnson, Mr Li. He's our technical heads coordinator."

Wufei was silent, keeping up his act. He didn't want to seem too eager. But as they'd discussed, Sally was allowed to be.

"We'd love to attend, Mr Sincarno," she said, practically beaming.

"Please, call me Leonard." He stood up. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm terribly busy I'm afraid. No rest for the wicked, eh?"

"No, there isn't." Wufei could have been frowning; it was always so hard to tell with him, Sally thought.

"Mrs Li," Sincarno stood over Sally, bending to kiss her hand. She needed every ounce of self-control she had not to pull her hand away in disgust.

He extended a hand to Wufei, "Mr Li. A pleasure meeting you."

"Oh no, Mr Sincarno," Wufei gave one of his most unnerving smiles. "The pleasure was all mine."

Please review. I secretly love it.


	6. Chapter 5: Sorrow

As always, dedicated to those who review.

Of course, I don't own anything and make no money of this. Sadly.

**Chapter 5: Sorrow**

_I__'__m pulled down by the undertow_

_Never thought I could feel so low_

_Oh, darkness I feel like letting go_

_If all of the strength and all of the courage come and lift me from this place_

_I know I could love you much better than this. Full of Grace._

_Sarah McLachlan, __'__Full of Grace__'_

Sincarno smiled as he departed the bar. Meeting the Lis had been doubly pleasing. Mr Li, despite his cool demeanour, could end up putting more money into Legacy. Or better yet, would pilot a suit for them.

And then there was Mrs Li. Sincarno smiled to himself, remembering the husky notes of her voice and her incredible legs. He was a connoisseur of fine things after all; wine, art and above all, women.

"Mr Sincarno," the concierge called to him from the lobby. "There was a message for you."

"Yes?"

He was handed a slim white piece of paper. After the concierge left, Sincarno unfolded the paper. On it was a phone number to a secure line Johnson had set up. This was how they always communicated. Sincarno quickly found a phone box outside and dialled.

"It's me."

"Sir," Johnson's reply was quick. "I've discovered something…unnerving. About Trowa Barton. And his friends."

"Well, spit it out my dear man." Sincarno kept his tone light. It would do no good to appear worried.

"I have reason to believe Trowa Barton was once a gundam pilot. It leads me to believe that the other gundam pilots may also be members of the Preventers or at least, in contact with Une. That young man who rescued Minister Darlain could have been one."

"I'd always expected as much, Johnson. Men like that simply don't disappear off the face of the earth. If Une has gundam pilots on her side, this just means we'll have to move faster. The meeting is in five days; we'll launch our attack after that. Have the men assembled in the colonies and ready to assault earth."

"Yes sir." Johnson smiled. This was what he had been waiting for. No more hiding; the battle was about to begin.

"And Johnson?"

"Sir?"

"If any of the colony leaders get in your way, you know how to deal with them. Do try to make it look like an accident, though. We don't want to tip off Une and her friends too early, now do we?"

"Yes sir. I understand."

It was Sincarno's turn to smile. "And I wouldn't worry about our friend, Trowa Barton, either. He is human outside of the Gundam after all. And all people have their weaknesses. Good work, Johnson. I will be returning to headquarters within the next 24 hours. We will re-evaluate our battle plan then. I trust the search for Minister Darlain continues?"

"It does. We feel we are getting close. I will be ready for your arrival, Sir."

The line went dead and Sincarno allowed himself a brief smile. Like Johnson, he was almost glad that all pretence was gone. Minister Darlain's disappearance was a blessing in a way; it practically eliminated any way of sorting out the issue Legacy had with ESUN in the courtroom. Not that there were a satisfactory outcome for ESUN anyway. Everyone knew it was going to come to this sooner or later. The desire for revenge could not be extinguished with money. He knew that, Minister Darlain knew that - if she were still alive , and Une knew that.

Now the battle was going to reach it's obvious conclusion and Sincarno couldn't bury the bloodlust he felt. He was a lawyer, true, but his father had been a soldier. Yes, General Sincarno had been a mighty warrior for the OZ forces before the Gundams had so coldly brought his life to an untimely end. That selfsame bloodlust that ran through his father's blood also ran through his. If the Gundams joined the battle, all the better for him. And with the newly developed Omega, which incorporated the mighty Zero system, they would have no way to escape.

Yes, Sincarno thought, revenge was sweet.

And it would be his within the week.

* * *

It may have been one o'clock in the morning, but Lady Une didn't care. There was too much work to be done. The reports were piling faster than she could read them and on her notepad was a list of ministers an arm long waiting for a call about her position on the 'Legacy issue.'

But it wasn't so much the workload involved with her job; that in itself she could handle. It was the political juggling she had to do. On one hand was Legacy and Leonard Sincarno. They not only had a very large bank account and a great deal of power within the colonies, but to a certain extent, public sympathy. How could you not feel sorry for the people who lost loved ones to the war? However, in front of Lady Une sat piles and piles of folders, each filled with separate reports on suspicious activity in the colonies; everything from illegal acquisition of mobile suit parts to disappearances of powerful men and women. All of which Une _knew _in her gut were Legacy's doing, but there was not a scrap of actual evidence to prove it. Leonard knew what he was doing. A smart megalomaniac, Une had never wanted to see.

On another hand was Relena. Une had heard all about Relena's condition and the circumstances surrounding her injuries from Quatre. Despite how complicated it made everything now, Une couldn't find it in herself to be mad. She knew what the ex-Queen had been trying to do too - to be a martyr for the cause, to alert the world to the truth behind the lies. Her life may have ended and her dignity beyond repair, but Sincarno would have most likely been stopped. As it now stood, though, her actions had only served to remove her from the picture and silenced one of the only voices speaking out against providing Legacy with everything they could ever want. Perhaps if her recovery were swift, she would return in time to stop things, but Une didn't want to leave things to chance.

Especially with the WHC breathing down her neck. They were like a ship without a rudder without Minister Relena. They desperately wanted to give in to Sincarno's demands for more money, to prevent a war, but without Relena to maintain public support for the WHC and ESUN they may not be able to carry out such a decision anyway. So they wanted to hear what Une had to say - if she and the Preventers could prove that Sincarno were as crooked as everyone suspected.

But then what? Arrest him and hope that the armies he had already assembled would not retaliate? Not a chance in hell. It would only make Sincarno a victim, portray him as an innocent and make Legacy the underdogs in an upcoming war which ESUN couldn't win if they tried. Not if the details on Legacy's mobile suits were anything to go by.

The only thing Une and the world could count on at the moment were the Gundams. Already, Quatre had the Maguanac corps working on 4 new Gundams for himself, Trowa, Wufei and Heero that could be ready within a matter of days if need be. And she knew that Duo was working on his own as well. Une had wanted to help them, really she did. But it was better this way; if word leaked out that the Preventers were breaking a law they themselves had implemented regarding mobile suits the shit would really hit the fan.

"Mother?"

Une blinked at the figure in her office doorway. "Mariemaia? Honey, what are you doing out of bed? Isn't the room to your liking?" She referred to the temporary room she had set up at Preventer headquarters so Mariemaia wouldn't be at home alone when Une had to work long nights.

"It's fine, mother," her daughter said, stepping into the light. Already, she seemed to be growing before Lady Une's eyes, showing signs of the young woman she would become, a young woman who would make Une - and Trieze - proud. The little girl had been an angel to Une, a blessing to fill the hole in her heart caused by the death of Trieze and each day Une loved her even more. "I went to get a drink and I saw your light on. Are you going to sleep soon?"

Une shook her head sadly. "I wish I were. There's just so much work here."

"But you should get as much sleep now as you can. You need to be at your best. And the work will still be here tomorrow."

"Hey, who's the parent here?"

Mariemaia smiled. "You are, mother. Sometimes you just get caught up in your work and you need me to remind you to do other things. Like sleep."

"You sound just like your father when you talk like that," Une found herself saying. "He was always so aware of the big picture but also able to see the little things. Like the beauty of a rose, or the importance of a strong character."

"Did you love him, mother?"

Une was startled. Even at 11, her little girl was grasping concepts and showing intuition far beyond her years. "Why, yes I did. Very much."

Mariemaia walked over to stand close to her adoptive mother. "Well, that's good. I think he loved you too."

"What makes you say that, sweetie?" Une was fighting a losing battle to keep the tears out of her eyes.

"Well, you say I'm like him and I love you, so I'm sure he did too. It makes sense, doesn't it?"

Oh Gods, Une thought, she was such a sweet little girl, so wise. Quickly she pulled her daughter into a hug so she wouldn't see her mother crying. After all, Une couldn't explain whether they were tears of joy or sadness.

"Mariemaia, my little angel, it does make sense…" She could almost feel him reaching out now, embracing his Lady and daughter. He was with them always, she knew it beyond logic or reason. She knew it deep in her soul. "…it does."

* * *

He was in her dreams again.

Catherine's subconscious mind went against her wishes once again by making her dream of Trowa. After he left her, it used to be a source of pain to her to dream about him. But now that he was back and taking her away from this life she was living it didn't matter as much…

_Scrape, scrape._

The sound of metal against metal broke through Catherine's thoughts and she was instantly awake.

She honed her senses. No, that was too loud to be a rat, though heaven knew the apartment had its fair share of those. Silently, gracefully, she slipped out of bed and grabbed her throwing knives from her drawer. As she tiptoed towards the front door, two voices could be heard outside.

"Have you got that lock yet?" the first voice whispered, a man's.

"No," another man replied. "Don't rush me."

"I don't want to be here all night. This place is a dump. Just break down the door and let's be done with it." The first man sounded impatient.

"I don't want to wake her up; we need her alive and the less fight she puts up the better."

That was all Catherine had to hear. Quickly, but still quietly, she made her way to the second bedroom in the tiny apartment and to the small bed in one corner.

"Sweetie, Jessica," she gave the small, blonde girl on the bed a shake. "Wake up, honey."

"Mama?" The 4 year old opened one eye. "What's going on?"

"I'll explain later sweetie," Catherine said, struggling to keep the fear out of her voice. The sounds at the door were getting more insistent. She picked up the young girl and took her to the window, pulling it open with one hand. Gently, she deposited Jessica on the fire escape balcony.

"Now, I want you to listen to your mama, ok." Jessica nodded, brown curls bouncing. "I want you to go over to Auntie Lonnie's window and knock until she lets you in. Then I want you to tell her to call the cops, ok? Can you do that?"

Jessica nodded again. Then her eyes fell to her mama's throwing knives. Why did she have those? The little girl hesitated. "But what about you, mama?"

"I'll be ok. Now don't argue. Go."

She gave her daughter a push towards her neighbor's window. Catherine only just had time to see Lonnie's window open before she was distracted by the sound of her door opening. She raised the first knife as two men, dressed completely in black, entered her apartment.

"Leave now," she said coldly, "and I won't put this through one of your heads."

The first man, the taller of the two, froze. There was something definitely unnerving about how she held that knife and the cold look in her eyes. The second, however (probably the smarter of the two) just smiled as he took in his surroundings. A children's room.

"Put down the knife, doll," he said calmly, "and we'll leave your kid alone."

The hand holding the knife wavered. She didn't doubt that they could carry out that threat, even if she could get both of them. There would always be more. And if she could buy Jessica some time… Finally, she lowered the knife.

"You win, you bastards," she told them.

"Hey doll," the first one said as he approached her. There was something glistening in his hand; a syringe. "We're just following orders."

Suddenly there was a pain in her arm as he thrust the syringe deep. "Now you're going to go sleepy-byes, doll. Sweet dreams."

Catherine saw the world go black in front of her as the two men flashed wicked grins. But they were the last thing on her mind. Not even her own safety came to mind. There was only one thing in the world she was worried about.

_Jessica. Oh, sweetie, please be okay.

* * *

_

The Chinese restaurant near the hotel was close to empty the next morning. But that suited Wufei and Sally just fine. It gave them the privacy they needed to discuss their mission. It also gave them a chance to eat some 'real food', as Wufei termed it. Sally had to agree; the food back at their hotel was great, but a little too rich for her liking. She felt more comfortable sipping at crabmeat soup in jeans and a blouse than she was last night in the bar. Wufei seemed to feel the same way, reverting back to his plain white pants and jacket.

"I don't like this," Wufei said.

"The food? It's good."

"No," he said quickly. "I don't like this mission. It leaves me with a bitter taste in my mouth. Just shaking hands with that…" here he said something rude in Mandarin, "…made me want to wash my hands many times over."

Sally tried to smile. "It isn't that bad, Wufei," she lied. "In fact, I would say our mission is going well, wouldn't you? He took the bait quickly enough and now we have tickets for a front row seat at their next meeting." She pulled the invite out of her pocket and examined it. "I know this address, too. It's an old mansion on Rhode Island, not far from here. I can't imagine it being used as a military base, though, unless…" her voice trailed off.

"Unless what?"

"Well, a lot of these old mansions here in America can have secret tunnels and such beneath them. From back during the wars. I wouldn't be surprised if Sincarno had utilized that."

"I'll find that out when we go," said Wufei, confidently. "Hopefully, we'll find the proof Une needs to bring this man to justice."

"It might take more than that, Wufei. If he's already assembled his army, we might need to look more for something which can be used against him. Some weakness in his mobile suits, perhaps."

"Hn," said Wufei. "I don't like fighting that way. I would much rather fight honorably, rather that have to use deceit to discover my opponent's weaknesses so that I may use them against him in battle."

Sally shook her head. "No one would think the less of you, Wufei, if you did."

"But I would think the less of myself, and that is what's important," he told her firmly. The fire was burning in his eyes now. "It is the worst of lies, to deceive yourself or to betray your own sense of honor. No matter what others may say, if you lie to yourself, you can never believe it to be the truth. If you betray what _you_ believe to be right nothing else matters."

There was no way Sally could find to respond to that; not with her already guilt-ridden conscience. Luckily she was saved by the approach of an old friend.

"Is this seat taken?"

"Trowa," Sally smiled at the new arrival as he took a seat at their table. "What are you doing here? I thought you were on holidays."

"I was. Une called me back in light of recent developments. My flight arrived an hour or so ago," he nodded towards the suitcase he had with him, "and when I heard you were here, I asked Une if I could offer you my services. She agreed."

"We don't need help," Wufei said. He sipped at his soup. "We doing fine on our own."

"Don't be rude, Wufei," admonished Sally before turning to Trowa. "I have to admit, though, we've been doing well so far. We made contact with Sincarno and have an invite to attend the general meeting of the Legacy heads in 5 days."

Trowa raised an eyebrow. "Really? That is good. You plan to scout out his headquarters, then?"

"That was the plan."

"Won't that be difficult with Sincarno's attention on the two of you? You will be his guests I presume?"

Wufei frowned. "Where are you going with this?"

"I was just thinking that perhaps if you had someone with you, someone who could justifiably be there but wouldn't attract attention, they could do most of the work for you, while keeping an eye on your back. Like a bodyguard, perhaps?"

Sally watched Wufei carefully. It was a good idea, but whether or not he'd accept help was a different matter entirely.

"It does make sense," he admitted. "And you would be good at it. Fine, you can join us as our bodyguard."

"Then it's settled," said Sally. She checked her watch. "Speaking of the mission, we have to contact Une from the private vid-phone in our room in ten minutes, Wufei. Shall I do the honors? You don't need me here to work out the details."

He nodded his assent and she left the two ex-gundam pilots to work out the rest. She had only made it a few steps into the hotel lobby when she spotted him. _Darn it, I thought he was long gone._

Leonard Sincarno was standing at the counter, talking to the concierge.

'Please don't see me, please don't see me,' Sally thought. But it was too late. Before she could react, Sincarno was smiling and walking towards her.

"You're still here," Sally said and hoped it sounded more like a greeting and less of an accusation.

"Mrs Li! What a pleasant surprise. I am, though only for a minute. I just came to pick up some messages," he said smoothly. He took her hands, much to Sally's chagrin. "May I say you look even more incredible in those jeans than in that dress yesterday."

Sally flushed with anger but luckily Sincarno took it as a blush. "I meant nothing by that, of course," he reassured her. "It's a very lucky woman, though, who can look fantastic in anything."

"Thank you," mumbled Sally.

"Well, I'd best leave now. But perhaps you would do me the honour of walking me to my car?"

Une's report looked like it would have to wait. Sally could very hardly refuse him something so simple without seeming unfriendly. "Ok, that should be fine."

They entered the downstairs car park with very little drama. But then Sally realized what a mistake she'd made; the place was deserted. If Sincarno tried anything, no one would know.

"My husband will be waiting for me," she said casually as they approached his car. "He was just meeting with a friend of ours."

"I'm sure he is, Mrs Li. If I had a wife as beautiful as you, I wouldn't let her out of my sight for a second."

"I don't deserve your flattery," Sally said as they reached his car. Sincarno made no motion to open his door.

"Oh, but you do my dear. Your husband is a fool not to notice that."

Here Sincarno stepped so close to her, Sally was finding it hard to breathe. Or perhaps that was just her fear talking. Every muscle in her body cried out for her to run…or at least give him a good kick in the family jewels.

_Pride is a sin, _a cold voice that sounded like her father's interrupted her. _You would sacrifice the well-being of others for your own vain and foolish desires. It is selfish of you to wish this!_

At the time it had been her father admonishing her for giving up a safe married life to a clan leader so that she could pursue a career in medicine. He had been wrong of course, but somehow his words came back to her and reminded her why she was here in the first place.

"Mr Sincarno…" It was all she could gasp out before he kissed her, smothering her with his lips. Or at least, that was how it felt to her panicked mind. Only through amazing self-control was Sally able to stay still, even when Sincarno invaded her mouth with his tongue.

As they kissed, Sincarno's hands went roaming. They started in her hair, working their way down, over her chest, down to her hips and onto her buttocks. He pressed himself against her and Sally gave a gasp of horror as she saw where Sincarno wanted to take this.

"Surprised?" he nearly laughed. "I suppose your husband lacks in many aspects."

_I'll show you lacking, you bastard, _she thought as one of Sincarno's hands slipped into her blouse. She needed to stop this now, but without making it seem like she were rejecting him. "Mr Sincarno, my husband wouldn't take kindly to your treatment of his wife. And I need him at the moment. We should be careful."

"I know exactly where you are going with this, my dear. And I understand," he grinned. "I wouldn't wish to jeopardize your marriage at such a stage either. But don't worry. If your husband can truly pilot a mobile suit, I will have him placed in one of my units. One word from me, and no matter the outcome of this war, he will die and his money will be yours. And mine."

Sally froze. Wufei was right; this man was absolutely repulsive. The lengths he would go to in order to get what he wanted. It made her sick.

"So this war that they've reported may happen will go ahead?" Now this would make her disgust worthwhile. This was the information they needed.

"Oh yes. After Minister Darlain's disappearance, there is nowhere for the WHC to run. We will have our revenge."

"Do you know when this war might be?"

Sincarno grinned. "Ah, my dear, that's for me to know and for you to find out. We must all be very careful from here on in."

"Then perhaps we could postpone this interlude until a later date, then?" Sally asked, praying that he was going to believe her act.

There was silence while Sincarno paused to think. Finally, he agreed. "Of course, my dear. The best things in life are worth waiting for, aren't they? And I will ensure our next meeting is in a much more…private…setting." After planting one more kiss on her lips, he got in his car and prepared to drive off. Sally waited until the sound of the engine was long gone before wiping frantically at her mouth with the back of her hand and brushing the stinging tears from the corner of her eyes.

Now she understood why Une had been so hesitant to assign anyone such a mission - Sally couldn't shake the horrible thought that she'd just been kissing the devil himself.

* * *

"Dorothy," Relena seemed genuinely happy to see the other woman again. Which was a good thing, Quatre thought, cause he'd had a hell of a time explaining to the other three why the woman was there and how she had gotten there.

Not that he could blame them for being so protective. They knew, as did he, that the phone back at Zech's place had to have been tapped for Legacy to have known about the shooting. They were well organized too, being able to mobilise those fake paramedics so quickly. If they were that organized, Zechs had told the two pilots yesterday, then it wasn't so much a matter of 'if' but 'when' Legacy found Relena. The later that happened, the better. The new Gundams were nearly ready, Quatre had been assured, though he wasn't sure whether or not to tell Heero yet. He still wasn't sure how the other man would feel about piloting again, but he sure as hell wasn't going to jump up and down like a teenage girl at a boy band concert about it.

"Miss Relena," Dorothy's voice cut back into Quatre's reverie. "I'm glad you made it."

Relena took the other woman's extended hand. "So am I. I still can't thank Heero enough."

"You're lucky to have someone who cares about you so much," Dorothy continued. "As well as your brother, Miss Noin and Quatre."

"Yes I am lucky," Relena replied. "And I feel good. Which is why I think I'll be allowed to ask you how the WHC stands now."

The two women fell into political talk and, feeling reassured that he'd done the right thing, Quatre left the room only to collide with something tall, dark and angry.

"Heero," he said. "Good to see you still in town."

"What is she doing in there?" the other man asked. There was no mistaking the anger in his voice.

"She's a friend of Relena's too."

"She could be working for Legacy."

Quatre frowned. "That's uncalled for, Heero. Whatever's happened between the two of you is in the past and should be left there. She isn't hiding anything from us, I can tell."

"But you're hiding things too, so how can I trust you?" Heero was wearing his patented death stare but Quatre wasn't about to back down.

"Is this about the Gundams?"

"I just got off the vid-phone with one of the Maguanacs. When they saw who I was they felt it was okay to tell me that two of the Gundams are practically completed and just need testing. The other two are close behind."

"I was going to tell you."

"You would have had to; I suppose I will be piloting one."

Quatre sighed. This was tricky. He couldn't tell if Heero was angry, upset or both. Most of all, he seemed tired. They were all tired of fighting, really. Though Heero seemed to have had more than his fair share of the battles so far. "Only if you want to Heero."

"I've never had a choice. It won't start now. I will pilot one once the need arises; that's all I know to do." He turned to go. Probably to mentally run himself through his basic piloting skills; not that he needed to.

Quatre sighed again. If only Doctor J and Dekim Barton had known what they were doing when they created 'the Perfect Soldier'. The sad thing was, even knowing the effects it would have on Heero, they would have probably had no choice but to do the same again.

The longer he lived and the more battles he saw, the more it seemed to Quatre that the Gundam pilots were only puppets and war the puppet master.

"Onna! Where on earth have you been?" Wufei stood up as she entered the suite. "Trowa and I finished early and I came up to see how the report went and you weren't even here."

Sally shook her head. She really was feeling nauseous now that she thought about it. "Did you make the report?" she asked.

"No, I wanted to find out where you were first. Why? What happened?"

"I ran into Sincarno at the front desk. This war is going ahead; no doubt about it. He almost wants it to happen."

Wufei frowned. "He just told you this?"

"He let it slip." It was the best answer Sally felt she could give.

"I see," Wufei walked over to the desk and pulled out a laptop from the bottom drawer. "Well, we'll let Une know as soon as possible, then. It's not good news, but it is invaluable."

Sally made her way to the bedroom. "Where are you going?" Wufei called from behind her.

"I'm not feeling so good," she answered. "Maybe the food disagreed with me. I think I'll just lie down for a few hours, ok?"

"Will you be alright?" her partner asked. Sally would have smiled at the concern he showed her if not for the fact that smiling was the last thing in the world she wanted to do right now. If anything, she wanted to crawl into a little ball and hide from her shame.

"I'll be fine," she lied. "Just need to lie down."

_And hope that by some miracle a few hours sleep can make this all go away._


End file.
